


Evening Primrose

by SeparationBoundary



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Fire, Hurt/ Comfort (human), Hurt/comfort (animal), Jean/Marco - Freeform, Kenny is a Dick, M/M, Veterinarian!Eren, Yoga, death of very minor character, floch is really a dick, gunfire, gunshot wound, mention of child neglect, mention of prostitution, neglect/abandonment of an animal (happy ending), springles - Freeform, thug!levi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-18
Updated: 2020-04-12
Packaged: 2021-02-28 19:42:10
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 24,120
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23202664
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SeparationBoundary/pseuds/SeparationBoundary
Summary: Levi, thug in his uncle's gang, finds an injured dog in an alleyway.  He seeks out a veterinarian to help him with the dog and ends up falling for the guy.
Relationships: Levi/Eren Yeager
Comments: 82
Kudos: 321
Collections: Levi x Eren





	1. Ross

**Author's Note:**

> I’ve owned two Australian Shepherd dogs; Moss and Roy, (both long gone) and one Aussie/ Border Collie cross, Nick, who was not my dog but my Number One Son and who will forever live in my heart as such. This little fic is dedicated to you three.

Levi straightened and began carefully cleaning his knife with a smooth efficiency born of repeated action.

The pristine white handkerchief moved slowly over the blade, sopping up blood, wiping down steel. Levi carried two handkerchiefs with him always, both the same bright white, both embroidered with three pale-yellow evening primroses in one corner; his mother’s favorite wildflower.

When his knife was clean enough he primly wiped his hands and dropped the handkerchief onto the ground next to the man on the floor with the cut hand. Levi’s calling card. Levi’s “ _ don’t fuck with me, _ ” message.

Nobody was dead but the four men in the barbershop--more precisely on the floor of the barbershop--were wishing they were and wishing they’d never met Levi Ackerman.

“And if you ever, ever disrespect my family again …” he murmured, letting the threat hang while he stepped delicately over men. He exited the barbershop casually, like a late customer leaving and, turning right at the next corner, he strode down the narrow alley.

Levi had texted for a car now all he had to do was stay in the shadows and get as far away from the barbershop as possible. He followed the trestle of the elevated train for two blocks then turned onto a busier road.

That was no good. He ducked back into a convenient alley as soon as he saw one.

The alleyway was dark, cluttered with garbage and the flotsam and jetsam of human habitation, whatever hadn't made it out to the curb; a broken dresser, a sodden pillow, a plastic trash can with the bottom busted out, slats off of a bed. Levi stumbled over a broken clock and into a soft mass of something--it felt like a bag of clothes. He withdrew with a noise of disgust. The mound, however, huffed out a whine and Levi started, stumbling back. There was something alive there.

Levi approached slowly. He contemplated drawing his gun but then decided against it. If it was a homeless person they were not a threat, if it was someone who meant him harm, they wouldn't have made a noise. He poked cautiously with one toe. When the leather of his shoe contacted something soft he paused. The something soft made another sound--a low grunt.

It wasn't human. It was an animal.

Curious now, Levi poked at the mass which appeared to be grey or particolored. Without warning an eye opened, warm and brown, and Levi stepped back, startled. A head rose and another eye, this one icy blue, joined the first.

It was a dog. Some sort of furry dog. The two disparate eyes blinked and newspaper rustled at the other end which Levi took to mean it was wagging its tail.

"Hey, buddy," Levi said and sure enough the newspaper rustled faster. "Are you OK? Where's your master, boy?" Levi wasn't sure the dog was male but figured that it wouldn't mind.

Levi was not a dog guy. He wasn't much on animals, period. He didn't dislike them but had never had a pet and always wondered if the amount of trouble and mess was worth it. If he had to choose though he'd go for a cat; quiet, tidy, not as demanding. Or so he thought.

Levi really needed to get out of there. The car that he'd called was probably cruising around looking for him and the driver getting more and more worried. Levi just couldn't leave the dog, though. What if it was lost? He searched the thickly furred neck for a collar. None.

At that moment the dog sat up slightly and coughed. Blood laced phlegm splashed Levi’s jacket sleeve.

Normally this would send Levi into a fit of repulsion and disgust but not this time. The dog was hurt.

Levi acted fast, gently rolling the large dog over onto his side. The dog went willingly with a slight whine. When he was laid out Levi recoiled with a hiss. Whether the dog had been abused by a human or hit by a car, a foot-long slash cut through the mottled fur from hip-bone, down his right rear leg almost to his foot.

Without a second thought, Levi gathered the dog up and lifted him with a grunt. Belatedly he realized that he couldn’t use his phone with his arm full of dog. He’d have to hope that he spotted his car. As he staggered out of the alley he looked the dog over in the better light. His fur was long and thick, but matted and dirty, and had patches of black white and grey. If this dog was owned, it was a shitty owner. Aside from the mismatched eyes, his only odd feature was a naturally bobbed tail.

A name tugged at the back of his mind. Some kind of shepherd. The kind of dog who belonged out in open green fields amongst cows or horses or some other country shit. Suddenly it popped into his brain: Australian Shepherd. Yep, that was it. He turned the fine pointed nose towards himself and felt the stub of a tail try to wag against his wrist. Shit, he had to find help.

He headed down the sidewalk at a slow jog--the dog was heavy--keeping an eye out for his car

He was looking for anything, any kind of medical facility. He had no qualms about holding a human doctor at gunpoint if they’d take care of the dog. It was late, past working hours; most shops were closed. Desperately Levi headed toward downtown.

He came to a doctor’s office and, gently laying the dog at his feet, pounded on the door. No response. He cursed fluently, hefted the dog, and went on.

Two more blocks and he--thank the powers that be--came upon a tiny veterinary clinic. Just as he put the dog down, a silver SUV pulled up beside him. It was his driver, Connie Springer.

"What is that? Is that a dog? Boss, what are you doing with a dog?"

"He's hurt, found him in an alley now shut the fuck up and get whoever’s in this place out here. I don’t care if it's the cleaning lady! What took you so fucking long?"

Levi crouched down over the dog, resting. The dog's abbreviated tail wagged in perfect trust and acceptance of this human who had bumped him painfully along for 10 blocks and now loomed over him, shouting at the other human.

Connie in the meantime pounded on the door of the vet clinic

Someone came to the door, Levi could see a shadow under the door, but they didn't speak. Probably scared to death--it was a bad neighborhood. Connie hammered on the door again. Finally, it opened a crack.

Expecting a cleaning person, Levi was shocked to see a young man with unruly chocolate brown hair and huge greeny-blue eyes.

Levi sucked in a breath.

"We're closed," the teal eyed man said.

"Open up," Connie said, "We gotta emergency."

"There's an emergency clinic open 24 hou--"

"Please," Levi said.

He had no idea why he was going for reason and not violence. Something about this kid.

"Please," he said again, "This dog needs help. I don't think he'll last long enough to get to the emergency clinic." The brown-haired man opened the door wider and regarded the dog who was flat out on his side, eyes closed, panting. Blood was pooling under his leg.

To Levi's shock, the young man flung the door open.

"Bring him in quick!"

Connie helped Levi haul the dog up into Levi's arms again and they followed the man into the clinic.

The place was tiny. A little window above a desk for the receptionist and five chairs plus a tired-looking potted plant for the customers. They hurried past the waiting area and into the first room on the right. 

"Put him up on the table!"

Levi complied and the dog whined low, almost a groan.

The young man reappeared with a vial and a syringe and Levi noticed his white coat for the first time. It was clean but frayed at the cuffs and collar.

The man punched a button on a box next to the table and Levi realized that the table must double as a scale. When he got the weight he wrote it on his hand and began to draw liquid out of the vial and into the syringe.

"Hey, whatcha doin' doc?" Connie asked, grabbing the man's arm, "Is that for the dog? What is it?"

Levi knew Connie had a soft heart and would be immediately invested in the dog. He laid a hand over Connies’.

"Go wait in the car, Con. It'll be ok. I got this."

"You sure Boss?"

"Yeah, go."

Levi nodded at the white-coated man who finished drawing up the fluid, double-checked his hand and his calculations and injected the dog. The dog relaxed onto the steel table, not out, but definitely out of it.

  
  
  


The veterinarian stroked the dog’s head, flattening his ears back and cooing sweet nothings to him. “Beautiful dog. What’s his name?”

“His name?” Levi’s mind fumbled. What to call the dog? Spot? Rover? Petey? He was showing his age. What did people call dogs, nowadays? He was the boss of his gang. He could call his dog “Boss”. No that sounded shitty and weird. It needed to be a _ name _ name. Inexplicably his brain wandered to a recent meeting with the south side boss and Levi drinking a whisky drink--a RobRoy--and the boss drinking Bailey’s Irish Cream. Rob? Roy? Bailey? Boss?

“Uh … R … oss!”

The young veterinarian smiled like the sun coming out from behind clouds. 

“Ross! I like it!”

The newly christened Ross wagged his tail stub weakly.

“Will you or your … cohort, companion …?” the vet said.

Levi frowned for a moment then caught up. “Oh, Connie? He’s my uh … my driver.” Connie was actually his bodyguard as well as driver and was armed to the teeth but Levi wasn’t telling this sweet kid that. “Will we what?”

“Well, I’ll need an assistant to operate on this dog. My assistant is long gone for the night.”

Levi demurred “I dunno doc why don’t you call him? Wake him up. I … I can’t …”

“I just need you to hold the dog and hand me things, that’s all.”

Levi looked dubious.

“Look,” the handsome young vet said, “You've already seen the worst of it. Surely you’re used to blood.”

Levi chewed his lip. The kid was on to him, he was sure of it. He knew he was just some low life thug. Somehow Levi didn’t want this man thinking poorly of him.

“Yeah, yeah … I can do that. I can hold the dog.”

It turns out the young man’s name was Eren--Dr. Yeager to be precise--and it was his practice. Eren made Levi scrub up and don a gown and gloves. Levi felt like part clown and part fraud in the outfit but he gritted his teeth and kept on. It was for the dog after all.

The surgery was simple, Eren shaved the area and cleaned out the long cut. Fortunately, it was mostly skin deep and very little muscle was involved. Levi found himself fascinated at the careful and tiny needlework Eren was capable of and suddenly was very very glad that fate had led him to Eren’s clinic door.

“How long have you owned Ross?” Eren asked midway through stitching. Levi stared at him. They both wore masks so it was Levi’s pale grey eyes and Eren’s almost turquoise ones.

“Uh, not long.”

“How did he get hurt so badly?”

There was no doubt nor accusation in Eren’s voice. He didn't think for a heartbeat that Levi, despite clearly being a member of the underworld, had hurt this dog.

“Uh, he got past me and got out. I found him this way.”

“Well, it was good that you were so passionate about getting him help. He could have died from blood loss.”

Levi’s eyes flickered up to Eren’s and then back down to the dog in concern. He’d never actually thought of that, of Ross dying.

The concept hit him hard. He had known the dog approximately two hours but there was already a bond there.

“Yeah well, you take good care of him doc.”

Levi had a hard time concentrating during the operation. He anxiously watched the young vet work out of concern for Ross but he was also very, very distracted by the man himself. Big tan hands that gripped the instruments almost delicately, chestnut brown hair that tumbled around his too-young-to-be-a-professional face. And those eyes. Those greenish-blue eyes like the ocean at the shores of some faraway place that Levi had never even hoped to be able to visit.

For Eren’s part, he was just being terribly proud of himself that his hands weren’t shaking. What a night. It was bad enough being a business in such a run-down neighborhood (Poor people's pets needed vet care, too,) but to have a local crime boss bust into his practice in the middle of the night? He was pretty sure he was stitching up a dog opposite Levi Ackerman, henchman for Kenny Ackerman’s gang. He was positive he saw a gun under the man’s jacket and that driver of his looked positively scary for all that both hoods were shorter than Eren. He wondered about the dog. It clearly wasn’t his dog. Kenny’s maybe? No. He’d heard about Kenny Ackerman and couldn’t imagine the man owning a pet. Maybe Levi’s girlfriend’s dog or his lover’s? He couldn’t have just found him, could he have? He seemed to genuinely care about the dog. He’d walked a long way carrying him.

Eren was obsessed with how incredibly handsome the small crime lord was. He’d expected him to be seedy and greasy and crude but he was none of those things. He was neat and clean and impeccably dressed. And his looks, oh god just watching him made Eren get embarrassingly flustered. The little man was gorgeous; pitch-black hair, pale grey eyes, broad shoulders and a trim waist, mouthwateringly thick thighs that strained against his trousers …

“Hey, doc? You OK?”

Eren realized he’s just stopped stitching. “Oh … OH! Oh, yes I just … uhm … have sweat in my eyes.”

Without hesitating, Levi produced a snowy white handkerchief with yellow flowers embroidered on it and gently and carefully patted Eren’s brow dry. The big turquoise eyes kept their gaze glued on Levi’s the whole time.

“Th-thank you.”

“Keep it, Doc,” Levi said pushing the handkerchief into the pocket of the young man’s scrub top.

Both men blushed and Eren bent quickly back to his stitching.

Levi was sweating now. Why was this fucking vet who was barely out of his teens so cute? Levi had never seen anyone so cute and had never seen such gorgeous hair and eyes, oh my god the eyes, in his life. What was happening to him? First, he picks up this shitty dog then he starts drooling over this shitty vet. Levi swallowed. He didn’t mean either of those things. Neither Eren nor Ross was ‘shitty’, his emotions were just all over the place. What the fuck?

Finally, the last stitch was in place and Eren was carefully and efficiently putting a light dressing over the wound. Ross was beginning to stir and Eren dosed him up again to keep him from thrashing and opening his stitches.

“Now some pain killer and a cone and he can go into recovery”

“A cone?”

“An Elizabethan collar to keep him from licking his stitches.”

“Oh, yeah.”

“Can you carry him?”

“Sure”

Lugging the dog as completely deadweight was harder than when he was conscious and Levi grunted under the effort.

“You OK?”

“Sure, Boss,” Levi said,

Eren blushed at being called Boss and fastened the cone around Ross’s neck before Levi laid him into a large crate.

The room they were in was tiny and smelled like disinfectant. There were several crates of different sizes stacked on top of one another two or three high.

“What is this?” Levi asked peering into a crate where a black cat lay sleeping, breathing fast, with white bandages on her leg and around her ribs.

“This is the recovery room,” Eren explained in a hushed tone so as not to disturb the animals. “This is Sybil. She was hit by a car. Broken leg, broken ribs and multiple lacerations.”

Levi threaded his fingers through the bars and watched the cat in her uneasy sleep. He mentally wished for her to be OK.

“I wish I could have a talk with the fucker who hit her,” Levi said

When he pulled back Eren was staring at him.

“Sorry about the language,” he mumbled but Eren was secretly touched. This was a big scary mob boss?

There was another cat, a big grey tabby.

“Oh that’s Church--short for Churchill, like in Pet Semetary?--he is just in and got neutered.” Eren laughed, “All the lady cats a few blocks over are breathing collective sighs of relief as we speak.”

The tabby, seemingly none the worse for his surgery, came up to the bars of the crate and rubbed enthusiastically on Levi’s fingers.

“You run this place by yourself? No, you said you had a guy who helped with the operations.”

“A gal, actually. Sasha and I take turns cleaning and feeding and taking the dogs out and then she acts as my receptionist slash surgical assistant.”

Levi frowned and cursed at himself for even thinking what he was automatically thinking. “Is she cute?” he asked, assuming that she and Eren were an item.

Eren opened his mouth to reply when Levi’s phone buzzed. He struggled to get it out of his trousers as he still had the stupid paper gown on from surgery but he finally got it. It was Connie. Levi held up one finger to Eren and turned away.

“Say, Levi, there’s a really cute girl coming in the door right now!”

“What?! Come in behind her Con, I want as few witnesses as possible.”

When Levi put his phone away and turned he found Eren had shrunk back against the empty bank of cages and was looking terrified. “That’s Sasha, what do you mean no witnesses?!”

“Calm down Doc. I just mean that we’ve got, shall we say, some unfriendly folk in this neighborhood who would love to find us holed up in a small space. I mean you and your assistant no harm.”

At that moment there was a shriek, a crash, and a yell. Both Levi and Eren went tearing out into the waiting room to find a pretty brown haired girl sat on top of Connie and the potted plant turned over on top of both of them.

It took both Levi and Eren grabbing a combatant each to separate the two and stand the plant back up.

“You … you dimwit!” Sasha screamed at Connie

“Pain in my ass!” he screamed back

Levi shook Connie where he held him by his shirt, “Calm down you two and make nice. We got no beef here.”

“She jumped me, Levi!”

“If I recall correctly I told you to just follow her in.”

“I did and she jumped me!”

“He looks like a thug! They both do! Eren what’s going on? Are you OK?”

Eren laughed. “What I was about to say was. ‘pretty and fierce’” 

The morning sun was shining in the glass front of the clinic warming everything up and while Connie grumblingly swept up the dirt and returned it to the potted plant, Sasha got Levi’s info and Ross’s info and Levi promised to be back that evening. Eren had been standing there awkwardly the whole time but when Levi laid down five crisp one hundred dollar bills on the counter Eren leaped up to intercept.

“No! We can’t take your money.” Eren insisted.

“We can’t?” Sasha asked.

“It’s OK, Doc,” Levi said, “I know what you’re worried about, but it’s clean. I promise.”

“It’s … it’s way too much,”

“Think of it as a donation to the clinic.”

Eren frowned, an expression that looked out of place on his lovely face, Levi thought. Levi put his strong pale hand over Eren’s tan one.

“You saved my dog’s life, Doc. Take it.”


	2. Zeke

Levi was back that night as promised. He’d taken a nap in his office so he wouldn’t be dragging. Eren had chosen to work the better part of the day and then leave early to get some sleep. Sasha was holding down the fort with authority and only grudgingly allowed Levi into the back to see Ross “because Dr. Yeager told me to.”

The big dog was doing well and clearly delighted to see Levi. He looked ridiculous in his cone and Levi chuckled at him as he wagged in stiff circles in the crate.

Satisfied that the dog was well, Levi carefully asked when Dr. Yeager would be back so that he could time his next visit accordingly. He wanted to keep tabs on Ross’s recovery but he also wanted to see those teal eyes again.

  
  
  


Levi was sitting with Connie in a nondescript pick up truck waiting for the man to arrive so that they could get this fucking job over with. Levi was pissed. He refused to handle drugs in any form and weapons too. Gambling made the cut just so long as it was an honest game. This, this, however, was toeing the line. It was a payoff to an informant who had kept Kenny’s club from being shot up by squealing on his own gang.

Levi didn’t like snitches but had to acknowledge that the guy had probably saved many lives. What the other gang wanted shooting up Kenny’s club was a mystery and one Levi never cared to hear the details of.

Today was supposed to be a simple handoff between Levi and the snitch. No fuss, no muss, just Levi, Connie, and the snitch. Quick handoff, everyone goes home.

Levi was sitting uneasily in the truck, searching the area and the mirrors for the other man. No one could give him a description of the guy’s car but, presumably, the man would be the only person driving into the convoluted snarl that was the factory grounds.

It had been ten minutes. The guy was ten minutes late and Levi got more and more nervous as each minute ticked by.

“We gotta way outta this place?” Levi asked tightly

“Done, and done. I got two different escape routes not countin’ the way we came in.” Connie said with confidence. It was cold in the old truck and Levi wrapped his coat more firmly about himself. He was grumpy and suspicious and he didn’t like feeling either of those two ways.

“Whacha think Sash is doing right now?” Connie asked dreamily, staring out at the drizzly grey like it was a beautiful summer day.

“Sash?”

Connie went pink, “Sasha, Miss Brouse,” he amended.

“Probably giving some poor soul hell,” Levi said crossly but since Connie had started the subject his own mind turned to a certain chestnut-haired and teal eyed young veterinarian.

Connie was humming and smiling. “She’s a swell gal boss. Pretty and smart and spunky. I like ‘em spunky!”

Levi just had to smile a tiny bit at that.

He thought of his own vet clinic crush and blushed a bit. He had to get back there soon and see that gorgeous young man again. He wondered--

There was the distinct sound of a car engine and Levi looked around. He had lowered his guard. But it was just an early model Chevrolet crunching slowly and timidly over the gravel toward them.

Levi and Connie both got out of the truck to show themselves, show that they were alone and (appeared) unarmed.

Both men stayed away from the car to give themselves room to react but also to keep the guy at ease and make sure he didn’t feel threatened.

For a few moments, the man just sat there behind the wheel then he drew his hand down his face and opened the door. He stepped out looking around like a scared rabbit.

“Weilmann?” Levi called.

The man nodded, his eyes skipping over Levi then Connie then flickering all around.

“We have your cash,” Levi said and Connie held up a plain brown briefcase.

Weilmann stopped in his tracks. “Lemme see it,”

Connie tossed the case on the ground and bent down to open it. Inside were stacks of hundred dollar bills. Weilmann nodded and Connie bent to snap the case shut.

The first bullet plucked at Levi’s shirt sleeve, the second one embedded itself in the frame of the car right by Levi’s face sending flecks of paint into his skin.

Levi heard Connie yell as he hit the ground and scrambled to put the truck between him and the bullets. Connie hurried around the other side just a moment behind and Levi, for some reason, pictured Sasha Brouse and how upset she’d be if Connie got shot.

Bullets sank into the truck for several moments then abruptly stopped. Levi and Connie, both of whom had their guns out, looked at each other.

“Take a look?” Levi asked.

“Why not?” Connie said

Very carefully and very slowly both men, one on either end of the car, hitched an eye around the metal and took a look at the situation. Even more slowly, both men stood.

The clearing in the factory grounds should have looked like a battlefield but the gunfire had been very precise. Weilmann was dead, shot in the back as he tried to make it back to his car. He’d tried to take the briefcase with him and in the process, it had been riddled with holes and popped open. A handful of hundreds floated across the gravel. 

But the most noticeable feature of the battle was the ring of hoodlums, four of them and at their head, Zeke, Kenny’s rival for the district and official boss of the east side.

Zeke was physically opposite of Kenny. Kenny was dark and tall and stooped and scrawny and wore a perpetual frown. Zeke was blond and bearded and well filled out. He seemed to always be smiling.

He was smiling now.

“Levi!”

Levi slowly held up both hands, palm out, his gun held dangling by the trigger guard. Connie mimicked him. “Zeke.”

“Drop your weapons and come on out here, Levi! You too, Springer.”

Levi and Connie did as told, gingerly skirting the truck to stand in front of it, hands still raised.

Zeke put his foot up on a nearby pipe and assumed a brotherly air. “Now what are you two doing here? We came to kill the snitch and you came to … pay him?”

Levi looked distastefully at the cooling corpse of the snitch--Levi couldn’t even call him by name anymore. He hated death and killing. He saw it occasionally but that’s what had gotten him out of Kenny’s illegal doings: too much killing.

“We were just doing what Kenny ordered, Zeke, no more, no less,” he said evenly, “We didn’t even know who the guy was until last minute,” Levi lied.

Zeke pretended to consider his words, tapping his lower lip with the barrel of his gun. He strung out the moments, making Levi and Connie sweat.

“Then you won’t mind if I just collect all this money, then?”

Levi shrugged. “Doesn’t matter two shits to me. Deal’s already busted.”

Zeke brightened even more. “Good boy! I’d hate to have to kill you. You’re a good boy. I got no beef with you.”

And then Zeke dropped his guard, telling two of his men to pick up the cash scattered over the gravel and one to go start the car. The last man relaxed as well, lowering his gun.

Levi and Connie stayed frozen watching the men chase hundred dollar bills in the breeze. It would be funny except for the bloody corpse of Weilmann in the middle of it all.

Levi and Connie waited, patiently, as Zeke took a phone call on his mobile. Levi caught Connie's eye and nodded to their truck. Connie nodded back. Then Levi waited.

Eventually, the men collecting the cash wandered close. The bills were right under Levi’s feet. Levi waited some more.

“Hey move your foot, asshole.”

Levi looked down to realize that the wind had tucked a stray hundred under the toe of his shoe.

“Sorry,” He murmured and kicked the guy as hard as he could in the face.

Zeke looked up as Connie sprang to get into the truck and Levi opened fire, hitting the remaining man and one of the guys picking up bills. He didn’t wait to see the results of his actions but ran around to the passengers’ side of the truck and climbed in. Connie floored it. The big vehicle slewed around in a tight circle as Connie tried to orient himself and not hit the corpse of Weilmann on the ground. Zeke’s hoods all fired on the car as it roared past. Only Zeke stood unmoving, unsmiling.

They were almost at the opening to leave the compound when bullets peppered the side of the car--someone had an autoloader. They heard a series of _ ‘pink,pink,pink!’  _ and Levi felt a burning pain in his thigh. A bullet must have penetrated the door. Levi had been shot.

  
  


Without warning a car came barreling after them, moving much faster than the old truck, another big vehicle, it bore down on them quickly. Not even pausing they rammed the truck on Connie’s side. Levi grabbed at the wheel as Connie cried out. The car had crumpled the door in and his left arm was hurt as well as him having a big gash in his shaved scalp that bled alarmingly.

Connie regained the wheel, though, one-handed, and tore down the road going as fast as the truck would go. Seeing an alleyway he quickly turned into it.

“The fuck are you doing, Con?!” Levi yelled, “This is a dead-end!”

“Trust me, Boss!”

Levi twisted around to look behind them and the car with Zeke's gang in it was just a few lengths behind them.

They came to a chain link gate across the alley and Connie rammed it, tearing it off its hinges and tossing it clear over the truck to land in the way of the other car. When Zeke’s gang slowed down to deal with the gate Connie yanked the wheel to the left and jammed the truck sideways into the alley with him on Zeke’s side.

“Go, Boss,” he panted. “They want you, not me. Go, run, get help!”

“Connie,” Levi said, taking in the young man who had a sheet of blood running down the left side of his face.

“Run,” Connie panted, “I’m right behind you I promise!”

Levi ran.

  
  


Levi had been shot before, it was nothing new, but he’d never been shot in the thigh before and it hurt like a son of a bitch. Trying to stem the bleeding with one hand, hold his gun with the other, and walk as quickly as possible was agonizing in the extreme. He had no idea where he was going and no idea where Connie was. The young man might be dead for all he knew and that thought made him undeniably sad. Well, he had to find a safe place and some help. He couldn’t flag down a cab. Bloody, gun-wielding men had a hard time getting rides in cabs. He couldn’t go to a hospital, a gunshot wound would generate too many questions. Where to go? Where to go?

Suddenly Levi recognized the alleyway he was staggering down. It was the alleyway next to Goldmeyer’s pawnshop; the alleyway where he’d found Ross.

_ Ross. _

He could go to the vet clinic. Surely the gorgeous veterinarian would help him out and not ask questions. Levi stood upright, swaying, and made his way toward Dr. Yeager’s practice.

Levi was not entirely sure that he was going to make it. He’d stopped trying to stem the flow of blood from his leg and the entire leg of his jeans was soaked and the shoe on that side squished.

Where the hell was that fucking clinic?

Levi remembered that it was ten blocks. He’d walked all that way carrying a fifty-pound dog surely he could manage to get himself there. Finally, he saw it. The sign was lit, stayed lit all night, but the waiting room was dark. Levi zeroed in on the sign and staggered on.

When Levi reached the front of the clinic he pounded on the glass doors praying that Eren was still there. He thumped on the door with his blood-soaked hand, his fists making hideous red flowers on the glass. Finally, Eren came around the reception desk. His teal eyes went saucer-like at the sight of Levi slouched against the front door.

He opened the front door and Levi almost fell into his arms.

“Levi! What ... what happened?”

“Doc, I need your help. Help me with this …”

“This?! This?! Is that a gunshot wound? What ...?

Eren swept his hair back with one hand.

“What am I supposed to do?! I have no idea what to do!”

“Just treat me like you did Ross! Skin is skin, right? Blood is blood!”

“But I’m a veterinarian! A  _ veterinarian!  _ It’s unethical …”

At that moment Levi swayed and only caught himself by grabbing a chair. Eren reached for him to steady him.

“C’mon, Boss, please, I’m bleeding …”

Indeed the whole right leg of Levi’s jeans was black and shiny with blood.

“You tellin’ me you never tooka bullet outta an animal in this neighborhood?” Levi slurred, weaving unsteadily.

Eren got a look on his face of revelation

“Actually … yes ... yes, I have. Here, come into the operating room. Sit up here on the table!”

There was no way Levi was getting up on the table, he was too weak from lack of blood.

“Did you bring Connie? Sasha’s gone home!”

Levi shook his head, the best he could do.

“Wait a minute! Wait a minute! Just stand here a second. Don’t fall!”

Eren sprinted back into the waiting room and retrieved one of the chairs and carried it back to the operating room. “Stand on this then sit on the table!”

With much grunting from Eren and groaning from Levi, they managed to work together so that Levi was sitting on the end of the stainless steel table with his feet dangling.

“Now lie back.” 

Levi stared at him

“Lie back. You’re short enough you should just be able to lay your body down and your head will still be on the table. I’ll get a couple of gowns to cushion your head.” Levi slumped down and Eren wadded up a couple of gowns as a pillow.

“Who’re you calling short?” Levi mumbled and passed out.


	3. Sasha

Levi awoke on the floor of an unfamiliar room. It smelled like disinfectant. His leg hurt like a son of a bitch and he wondered why. Slowly he lifted his head. Cages. There were cages. Suddenly he recognized the place: he was in the tiny recovery room of Dr. Yeager’s vet clinic.

He lay on several blankets and a sheet and was covered in another blanket. Under his head was a pillow.

What the fuck? He tried to move but his right leg screamed in agony and he decided that still was lovely. Just quiet and still was quite nice.

Slowly, slowly the memories from last night came back to him. Zeke’s mob, the gunshot wound.

He struggled to sit up, feeling woozy and falling back down onto his elbows. He tried again, pulling the covers back slowly. His jeans were gone. He was clad only in his boxers which had a thin crust of dried blood along the lower edge. His thigh was neatly wrapped in a white dressing. He collapsed back down again, breathing heavily.

For a moment he just stared at the ceiling, plain old off-white acoustical tile and then he got a funny feeling. Like he was being watched. He looked around curiously. Sure enough, the little black cat, Sybil, was at the door to her crate and was looking down at him. She looked better, well, not as tiny and injured as she had before. She still had all of the bandages but she looked better. 

Levi was suddenly glad. Glad she was ok, glad he was ok. He felt a burst of gratitude for Dr. Yeager. And something else. Admiration? Sure. Appreciation? Yes. Maybe fondness?

Levi was spent from just trying to sit up. He lay back down on his makeshift pallet and smiled at Sybil. He thought of trying to get Ross’s attention but he was pretty sure he heard dog snores from the direction of the big dog’s crate and Ross needed his rest as well.

As Levi dozed off he was amused to realize that he and Ross were injured on the same limb.

“Twinsies,” Levi murmured before falling asleep.

Levi awoke again with a soft hand on his face. In his drowsiness, he thought perhaps it was Eren but when he opened his eyes he was met with the fierce brown gaze of Sasha.

“How do you feel?”

“Fine,” Levi answered automatically although his whole right leg felt like it was on fire. He gritted his teeth. “Where’s the doc?”

“Well, he was up until the wee hours stitching up some gang member who stumbled in his door and presumably threatened him.”

“I didn’t threaten him. I asked.”

Sasha pressed her lips together in a doubtful expression. “Well, he’s not here yet.”

“I need to go,” Levi said, struggling to sit up.

“Go how? You can’t possibly walk. Your leg is bruised, swollen, and has stitches. You need crutches.”

“I gotta find Connie,”

“Is that the guy with the buzzed hair?” a new, softer expression crossed her face.

“Yeah,”

“He’s asleep in one of the chairs in the waiting room. I found him outside the front door this morning.”

“Is he ok?”

“He’s a bit beat up but otherwise he looks really good.” The vet assistant blushed, “I mean he looks like he’s fine”

A little whine sounded then and Levi looked up. It was Ross. He must have recognized Levi’s voice. He was at the front of his crate dropping his ears back and whining. Levi would bet money that his stump of a tail was wagging madly.

“How’s Ross?”

Sasha sat up and gathered up her trash from where she was changing Levi’s dressing.

“He’s doing very well, healing nicely and not trying to worry his stitches. Eren says he can go home if you like.”

Home? Home. Levi had not thought a bit past the dog being hurt or indeed himself being hurt. Now he had to get himself and his new dog back home to his apartment. 

By nine am Levi had awoken to quietly moving feet as Eren and Sasha went about their regular day as if having a gangster sleeping on the floor of their tiny recovery room was nothing unusual. Levi appreciated their being as quiet as possible but it seemed to be a busy operating day. Ross and Sybil and Church had all been moved out (presumably to the regular cages / kennels) and two new inmates had taken their place. At nine, however, Levi had to get up. He waited impatiently for Eren to come by alone.

“Hey kid, can you help me? I gotta piss.”

Eren chuckled at Levi shyness and helped him up. Levi groaned at the pain in his leg but made it up off the floor.

“Do you want to lie back down after or …”

“Nah, Doc you’ve been way too kind already, besides, my ass is stiff as shit from sleeping on the floor.” He disappeared slowly into the single minute bathroom. “You gotta bead on Connie?” he called through the door.

“Oh, yeah,” Eren said grinning. He heard the sink running and the toilet flush.

Levi emerged, a moue of disgust on his face. “I still had blood on my hands,” he complained. “So where’s Connie? I need some pants and I need a ride. I got business.”

“Oh, I brought you some sweat pants from my place.” Eren said, reaching onto a shelf. “They’re too small for me.” 

Levi blushed at the young man’s kindness (and his proximity. The young vet was cute as hell.) and thankfully took the sweats. 

Eren had to bring a chair out of the waiting room for Levi to sit on to get the trousers on. They fit ok, about right in the waist, too tight over Levi’s thighs and a bit long but certainly usable.

“Great Doc, thank you. Where’s Connie?”

At that Eren began to act oddly. He put a finger to his lips and indicated that Levi should follow him. They passed out of the back and into the reception area and a puzzled Levi saw what was happening.

Sasha and Connie were seated side by side, chairs touching at the reception desk. Their heads were so close as to almost be touching as well and Sasha was giggling quietly. Eren grinned at Levi and Levi scowled at Connie.

“Connie!”

The poor young man jumped about a foot and the two patients in the waiting room started. Connie turned around to show a badly battered face. He scrambled up with a grunt, holding his ribs.

“Don’t be too hard on him Levi,” Eren said, “he got beat up pretty good. I think one of his ribs is broken.”

Levi softened. “Go get the car, Con. We got business.”

Sasha was scowling thunderously as Connie scuttled out, “What kind of business? Connie’s hurt and---”

Levi had held up one hand. “None of  _ your _ business. It’s work. He’ll be OK.”

“If you get him hurt any more …” she growled.

“Got the car, Levi!” Connie said from the door.

Levi turned to Eren. “Doc, can you keep Ross for a bit longer? I promise I’ll be back soon to get him.”

“Of course,”

“Thanks, Doc. For everything.”

Eren blushed.

“Bye, Sash,” Connie said,

Sasha blushed as well.

Both men went out the door gingerly favoring their injuries.

“I like your girl, Con,” Levi murmured. The buzz cut man nodded, grinning. Behind them, the two clinic workers eyed each other.

“What have we gotten ourselves into, Sasha?” Eren asked, shaking his head.

Back at Levi’s apartment, Connie dropped him off at the door and went on to his own place (well his mom’s place. Connie lived with his mother who thought he was a delivery man.) When Levi made it back to his own apartment he bypassed everything in favor of heading to the kitchen where he took a few Ibuprofen. He gulped down two glasses of water and hit the bathroom again where he managed an impromptu sponge bath and felt a bit better. He then limped to the bedroom and lowered himself gingerly into the bed. He had to think about his plan for telling Kenny about all of this. Unfortunately for his plan, he was asleep in minutes.

It was closing time at the clinic. Sasha had already locked the front doors and they were feeding and watering and doing last-minute checkups on all of their patients. Aside from the three who were in recovery and who now were in what Eren called ‘Gen Pop’ (General Population. Eren had learned it from Orange is the New Black,) there were three new patients in recovery, plus their two boarders. 

Sasha was getting the dogs in from their runs and closing the outer doors while Eren counted out the cash drawer. As was usual there were a few twenties, several tens and a bunch of fives and ones along with a handful of checks, some of which were likely to bounce. Eren put them all in the cash bag and then picked up the five new hundred dollar bills that Connie had put in the drawer. Five hundred dollars. A thousand now from Levi. Eren suspected that the money was dirty but Levi had sworn it was not. He really wanted to believe that. He fanned out the bills and thought of Levi and how handsome he was. Truly he’d never been this attracted to anyone before. He, Eren Yeager, who had fulfilled his mother’s dream of him going to college and being somebody, thinking romantic thoughts about a common hood. He wondered if she’d be proud of his opening a clinic in the poorest of neighborhoods or angry at his poor financial choice. Well, poor people had pets too and pets needed care. And that was his job and he loved it. He put the five hundred dollar bills into the cash bag. Best not to look a gift horse in the mouth.

When Levi awoke from his nap he stumped around his apartment in agitation trying to decide what to do. On one hand he had to contact Kenny; the handoff had gone south. (He hoped that all of Zeke’s energy would be concentrated on Kenny.) On the other hand he didn't want any questions about his wound and how well it was treated. Even Connie had neat bandages over all his cuts. People would ask questions. Kenny would ask questions and Levi couldn’t have that. Eren Yeager was his,  _ his _ little treat,  _ his _ little secret. Levi didn’t want anyone finding out about the handsome young man both out of jealousy and out of fear. Kenny absolutely could not be trusted and he used people up like Kleenex. If he found out Eren had taken such good care of Levi and Connie, he might decide that Eren should become their own personal doc--against his will. Not to mention that if people found out about the clinic then every member of the gang would be sniffing around Eren and Sasha and frankly Levi and Connie didn’t deserve that. Levi and Connie lived very dangerous lives full of violence and loss and they deserved to have sweet people all their own in their lives. Hell, they’d earned it. Now, how to keep Kenny off the trail and keep an eye out for Zeke at the same time?

An hour later Levi and Connie were sat around Levi’s kitchen table plotting their stories.

“So Zeke’ll be going after Kenny, we hope,” Levi was saying.

“But Kenny knows we got hurt,” Connie said, “He’ll think we’re just holed up till the coast is clear.”

“Right. It’s how we look and act when we show back up that’s gonna make all the difference,” Levi said.

“The sooner the better?”

“The sooner the better.”

“We take off the bandages, then,” Connie said, “show the wounds all nasty and raw. Mine look a treat.” He demonstrated by peeling off a large rectangular bandage that Sasha had applied to his face. Not only was there a nasty gash but the surrounding skin was puffy and greenish-purple where Zeke’s men had worked him over.

“That should convince ‘em.”

“What about the gunshot? I mean there’s no exit wound and the hole’s all clean.” Levi asked.

“Tell ‘em you took the bullet out yourself with your knife! No one will know. And we could’ve cleaned it out. You’ve got peroxide doncha?”

Levi nodded.

“See?”

So they ended up with a plan. Connie would go see Kenny with no bandages and exaggerating his injuries and Levi would stay home supposedly unable to walk.

Whatever they did, however, neither would reveal the name or the location of the clinic to anyone.

Levi thought about that, thought about how scared he was that Kenny would find out about Eren and take advantage of him or worse, use him against Levi. Kenny knew he was gay--he didn't approve of it but he knew it--so there was no problem on that front. The whole gang knew about Levi’s sexual orientation. As a matter of fact, several members of the gang were of different genders or orientations. No one judged, not overtly, but Levi absolutely would not put it past Kenny to harm or harass Eren to coax Levi into doing or not doing something. Levi had to keep Eren safe.

Just the thought of Eren made Levi’s pulse pick up speed. He couldn’t imagine the sweet young man put in jeopardy. Levi was resolved. He would rather never see Eren Yeager again than put him in harm's way.

  
  


Eren was cleaning the waiting room while Sasha cleaned behind the reception desk. He swept, wiped down the tables and chairs with a bleach solution and mopped with the same bleach solution. He was dusting the potted plant when he looked out the front of the clinic for the twentieth time.

“He’s not coming, Doc,” Sasha said from behind the desk. “They might never come back. They’re hoods, remember?”

Eren smiled sadly at her and continued to gently dust the big leaves of the plant. “They might be back. They might just be recovering. How do they say it? ‘Laying low’? I find it hard to believe Levi would abandon Ross.”

Sasha shook her head and fought back tears and kept cleaning.


	4. Kenny

Levi staged his meeting with Kenny carefully. He’d sent Connie with all his injuries exposed to meet with him and let him know what had happened but now Kenny was coming over there. Kenny had been to Levi’s apartment before, though Levi tried to keep such interactions to a strict minimum. It was his personal space after all.

But as for the set-up, Levi had (with much loathing,) changed into the clothes he was wearing when he got home three days ago. They were sweaty, dirty and both the tee shirt and the boxers had dried blood on them. Levi then had purposely not cleaned his wound since the night before so it was all crusty and frankly gross. He’d wrinkled up the sheets on his bed and wet his forehead with water out of the water glass on his bedside table just as Kenny came into the apartment.

The older man, tall, lean, and hatchet-faced, came into the bedroom cautiously, Connie followed, limping and favoring his ribs behind him.

“Kenny, how are ya?” Levi croaked.

“Boy. I’m fine. Are ya OK?”

Levi nodded in faux pain. “I’m OK, Kenny. Should be back to work soon.”

“You don’t look it, boy.”

“No?”

“No. You look like boiled pig shit.”

“Jesus, Kenny,”

“Can’t you even keep clean?”

“It hurts like fuck, Kenny. I can’t walk!”

“How do you piss, then?”

“Ok, I can walk a little bit,” Levi admitted, mind racing, “Do you know how hard it is to piss with your driver in the room helping you stand up?”

Kenny grimaced at that

“Buncha faggy shit, that” he grunted.

Levi carefully didn’t mention that Kenny himself had had a ‘business partner’ for years named Uri Reiss who had lived with him. Kenny was gay as fuck or at least bi and he had the nerve to talk shit to Levi. Levi sucked it up and said nothing.

“Well get Connie to help you to the shower and hold your fag ass up while you bathe. You stink. That wound is just gonna get infected if you don’t clean it.” Kenny turned to leave “Come to my office in a week or two if you ain’t dead.”

Then Kenny left and Levi let out the breath he had been holding. He and Connie and by extension Eren and Sasha were safe for now.

  
  


As soon as Connie shut the front door Levi shucked off his filthy clothes and limped for the shower. The stingingly hot spray felt good on Levi’s skin as he let his thoughts wander to Eren. He had to figure out how to see the young veterinarian again, soon. He had to be careful though, Eren was safe so long as no one saw Levi anywhere near the clinic. Could he see him outside the clinic somewhere?  _ Like a date, maybe?! _ his mind screamed. Levi colored slightly. That he was interested in Eren was obvious but he was so socially inept that he didn’t know how to handle the situation. Could he call him, maybe? Ugh and say what?  _ ‘I find you incredibly attractive and you saved my dog and maybe, possibly me and I’d love to fuck you but first I want to take you out a bunch of times and just spend time with you and get to know you?’ _

Levi let his head fall back into the spray in defeat. He really sucked at this sort of thing.

He finally got around to soaping up his body, spending a few careful minutes cleaning his wound out as well as possible the pain and the fact that the shower was running out of hot water goaded him into getting out and toweling off.

He sat naked on the lid of the toilet and cleaned his wound out again with betadine and wrapped it back up in a fresh clean bandage. Satisfied, he stepped out of the bathroom to plan his day and try to figure out ways to tell that brat of a pretty veterinarian how he felt.

In the end, Ross made the decision for him.

Levi had to go back and get Ross. He couldn’t just leave the dog, not after all they’d been through. Plus it wouldn’t be fair to Eren. Eren. Just the thought of seeing him again made Levi’s heart beat fast. But he couldn’t do it. He couldn’t risk seeing or being seen with Eren until all suspicions blew over. If he went to see a vet  _ after  _ he got a dog, well that would be just fine and not in the least bit suspect. But now? No, it was too dangerous.

He and Connie planned to break in and kidnap Ross.

They chose a Sunday night when the clinic wasn’t open to do the deed. Either Sasha or Eren would be by in the morning to feed and water and let the dogs out then whoever didn't come in the morning would be by about five pm to repeat. After that, it was smooth sailing until six am when Sasha showed up for her shift.

Breaking in was a breeze. There was no alarm and the old side door which let out into the alley had a decrepit lock that was easy peasy for Connie to pick. Connie opened it in a minute flat and after a quick look around they crept in. The back door was in a small scullery at the back of the clinic with a deep sink and the washing machine in it. This small room connected with the kennel area where Ross and three other dogs were. Ross started up a joyful barking at the sight of Levi and Connie and they quickly shushed him. Connie looked for a lead while Levi greeted the patchwork dog who gamboled stiffly around his new owner. 

“Settle down you big idiot,” Levi said, smiling, “we’re gonna bust you outta here.”

“Got the lead Boss!” Connie said

Levi hooked Ross up “did you leave the notes?”

Connie nodded. “On the desk, like you said, Boss”

“Good, let’s go”

The three of them slipped quietly out and the door snicked shut, locking behind them. In a minute you’d never have known they had been there at all. 

The next morning Monday Eren and Sasha arrived at the same time. Saying their good mornings they went on in and Eren let the blinds up so the morning sun could shine in and Sasha circled around to her desk.

“Uh, Eren?”

“Yeah?”

Sasha pointed at her desk and Eren came around to look. There on the blotter were two letters, one in an expensive cream-colored envelope and another in a plain white business-sized envelope. The names Dr. Yeager and Sasha were on them. 

“What the hell? How did these get here?”

“I don’t have any idea,” Sasha said, frowning. “I got my handbag last night, same as usual, and there was nothing on this desk.”

“Someone broke in?”

“To leave us notes?” Sasha asked, fingering the plain envelope with her name scrawled on it.

Eren went to check the safes. The money safe was fine and the drug safe (Eren had learned early that addicts would smash the front glass to steal the animals’ drugs so he started keeping the potent ones in a big gun safe.) was also fine. He came back up front and eyeballed the envelope in Sasha’s hand.

“Well open it,” Eren said.

“You first!”

Eren reached for the creamy envelope gingerly. The script on it was small and precise. He tore it open as if he expected a bomb to go off. None did.

The script inside was the same as outside; small, exact, neat. The letter read:

Dear Dr Yeager,

I came and got Ross. It’s not safe for us to see each other right now. I’m sorry. I’ll contact you later if that’s OK.

L.

PS: We didn’t take nothing. Except the dog.

Eren paled at the ‘it’s not safe part’ and blushed at the ‘I’ll contact you later’ part then laughed at the postscript. He looked up at Sasha to see what hers said and found her red up to the tips of her ears and clutching her note (written on plain notebook paper) to her bosom.

“I take it you don’t want to share?” Eren asked wryly. “Here look at mine.”

“I wonder what he means by ‘it’s not safe?’” she asked, “Are we in danger?”

“I don’t think so. I think we would be if anyone saw Levi or Connie here right now, though. I’m checking the back. Double-check both the safes.”

Eren was back in minutes. “Yep, Ross is gone, everyone else is fine, back door is locked. I need to get a deadbolt for that door.”

Sasha leaned out of the drug safe, “Everything’s here, too, and there’s another five hundreds in the cash drawer.”

Eren sighed and fished out of his pocket a handkerchief with three yellow evening primroses embroidered on it and smelled it absently. What was he going to do about this man?

  
  


Levi lay on the couch, an imported beer in his hand, and a large fuzzy dog on his good leg. Ross had acclimated himself to Levi’s apartment and insinuated himself into Levi’s life effortlessly. He’d had a thorough bath and had fluffed out to twice his previous size. Levi had sent Connie out to buy every manner of dog supply that he could think of and Connie had gone wild. He bought food, toys (so many toys!), a variety of leads and collars, dishes, and a large crate for him to be in when Levi was not there.

Currently, Ross sported a brand new blue collar and was chewing on a rawhide bone and slobbering all over Levi’s foot.

Levi had never in his life thought to own a dog but here he was. He’d wanted one as a child but Kenny wouldn’t even consider it. A dog wouldn’t benefit Kenny so it wasn’t even a passing thought. The man’s self-centeredness was matched only by his cupidity.

Ross had actually turned out to benefit Levi already; when the friendly dog heard a voice outside the door or someone knocked he went into a flurry of intimidating barks. He’d already scared a messenger to half to death. Levi could immediately see the advantage. Word had surely gotten round the rival gangs already that Levi had a dangerous dog. That made Levi smile.

What didn’t make Levi smile was the lack of Eren Yeager in his life. He found himself indulging in long daydreams about the teal eyed veterinarian, wondering what music he liked, what foods. If he liked to walk along the canal or go to cafes. Despite the fact that just thinking of the man made Levi’s dick twitch with interest he still had all these romantic thoughts. He wondered if he was going crazy.

His current fantasy was of him and Eren and Ross all strolling along the canal on a sunny day. Then perhaps a kiss. Levi sat up and caused Ross to look at him curiously. 

That was it. He had to see Eren again. Soon.

Eren was hosing down the outside kennels and indulging in a very similar pastime as Levi; daydreaming. Specifically about Levi. He was wondering how deeply involved in Kenny’s mob he was. He swore that the money he gave Eren (fifteen hundred dollars now) was clean and Eren wanted to believe him. But what legitimate business could generate that kind of money--in cash as well? Hell, Eren and Sasha had already bought two new, much needed, instruments and two new chairs plus a beautiful new coat of paint for the waiting room. The cash had more than come in handy but the whole ‘dirty money’ thing was troublesome. Could it be dirty? Would Levi lie to him? He hadn’t lied to him so far … well, except at the beginning about owning Ross but that had worked out very nicely if Eren did say so himself. Then again he had broken in and dognapped a patient!

He wondered how the man and dog were doing. Were they getting on together? Ross was a fine, friendly dog but Levi apparently lived in an apartment and Australian Shepherds needed a lot of exercise. What about their injuries? Eren would have demanded that Ross be back at the clinic to check the wound in any other circumstances. Thinking about Ross’s injury made Eren think of Levi’s. He wondered how the man was doing. Had he gone back to his girlfriend or lover? Would Eren ever see him again?

Eren finished up and was coiling up the hose when it struck him. The thought of not seeing the little gangster again made him terribly sad.

It was Wednesday morning, bright and cold, when Levi decided that he and Ross were fit to go out by themselves. Up till then, Levi had just hobbled around the apartment and Connie had come over three times a day to take Ross out. Today Levi decided that they were going out together, two crippled fools on the streets alone.

As soon as Levi picked up Ross’s lead, the dog went into his normal paroxysms of joy at being taken out. Levi had to calm him down enough to get the lead snapped onto the dog’s collar.

“Now you be calm Ross boy,” Levi said, “You’re in no condition to gallop around like a racehorse and I don’t want you pulling me down either.”

The big dog responded by wagging around in tight circles.

“This may be a big mistake,” Levi said.

They made it down in the elevator alright and into the lobby where Levi checked his mail while Ross wagged at every passerby and even accepted a few head pats. Out on the sidewalk it was more difficult. Ross wanted to walk as fast as his injured leg would allow him and Levi couldn’t keep up. It was a constant battle of the wills with Ross pulling, Levi chastising, Ross looking apologetic, and so on. Finally, they made it to the weedy vacant lot where Ross went to the bathroom. Levi let the lead out all the way and let the fuzzy dog sniff happily amongst the junk and garbage, being careful not to let him eat anything.

On the way back the rot set in. There was a big black SUV parked out in front of Levi’s building and he instantly recognized it as one of Kenny’s. For a moment he thought of trying to make it back around the corner and out of sight but it was clear he’d been spotted. He approached slowly, exaggerating his limp. Ross, tired from his outing was limping just as badly. As they approached the car the door swung open and Kenny’s driver and general henchman Floch got out. With a smirk in Levi’s direction, he opened the back door. Ross growled. The instincts of animals.

“Well, I see you’re up and about,” Kenny said. “What’s with the furball?”

“He’s my dog,”

“Well, I can see that. Why do you have a dog?”

“Protection,” Levi said instantly and as if on cue Ross growled again. “He looks cute but he’s a real killer.”

“Looks crippled,” Kenny said

“Had a run-in with a car. He’s fine.”

“How’d ya get him stitched up?” Kenny asked, eyeing Ross’s gash and the neat ladder of stitches. The stitches weren’t supposed to come out for two more days. 

Levi faltered.

“Connie. He stitched us both up.”

“Yeah? Looks like he’s gotten better. Last time I saw his stitching looked like a crazy quilt done by a blind woman.”

Levi could feel a tiny trickle of sweat run into his collar despite the frigid day. He said nothing.

“Well anyway, I need you for a job. You gotta make it up to me for losing all that money to Zeke.”

Levi’s expression chilled. “I didn’t do that on purpose, Kenny.”

Kenny’s eyes narrowed as he lit a cigarette, squinting through the smoke. “You’re too soft, kid. Always have been. Besides, it’s an easy job.”

“I can’t hardly walk Kenny,”

“Ahh you’ll be ok. It’s just a delivery.”

“You know I don’t handle drugs …”

The skin around Kenny’s eyes tightened at that. “I didn’t say drugs. No drugs, no guns, I got it. Nah it’s the new safe for my club on 14th. No big deal.”

“A safe? What the hell? You don’t need protection for that,” Levi said, “Oh wait, where's it from?”

“It’s the safe that was at the Flamingo when it burned down,” Kenny said taking a deep drag off his cig.

“It’s still got the money in it?!”

“It’s safer in than out. I’m just taking out a step in the transfer.”

That idiot Kenny was transporting a safe full of money. Levi wiped his hand down his face. “OK, Kenny, fine. I’ll do it. When is it?”

“Of course you’ll do it. It’s Monday after next, seven o’clock. Someone will pick you up.”

“I’m not bringing Connie?”

“Nah, no need.” and Kenny shut the door. With a sneer for Levi, Floch got back behind the wheel and the big car pulled smoothly away from the curb.

Levi looked down at his dog. “Let’s go Ross, I need a bath after all that bullshit.”

In the back of the black suburban Kenny narrowed his eyes and tapped his lips with a finger. Floch watched him in the rear-view mirror.

“Floch,” Kenny said, “Are you getting the same feeling I’m getting?”

The other man nodded. “I think he’s thinking about jumping ship.”

“Agreed. I think our little Levi’s loyalties are moving elsewhere.”

  
  
  
  


Levi had bought Ross a variety of balls. He had two cans of tennis balls, a soccer ball, and a basketball. He loved his tennis balls but his favorite was the basketball. He could spend a half an hour just rolling it around and growling and trying to pick it up. He could even lift it up on his front legs and Levi kept threatening to buy him one of those kiddie basketball hoops and teach him to shoot baskets.

Ross didn’t like the leather furniture (Levi didn’t blame him he didn’t like it either) and wasn’t allowed on Levi’s bed and had three dog beds in consequence: one in the kitchen, one in the living room and his primary bed (with its own heated pillow) in Levi’s bedroom.

The bed in the bedroom was a large wicker type basket with the heated pillow in it, the other two were just large Ross-sized pillows on the floor. The mottled dog had the adorable propensity of moving his kitchen dog bed to be closer to Levi. If Levi was at the stove cooking, Ross would drag his dog bed to right beside him and work on one of his chew toys while Levi cooked. If he began to wash dishes, Ross would drag his bed next to the sink. Same when Levi sat down to eat; the dog bed would be under the table.

This Ross Rule also extended to the bedroom. Ross had a bed in there so he didn’t need to drag his kitchen one in, but if Levi so much as went in there to fetch socks, the enthusiastic dog would run in and jump in his dog bed, anticipating a nap.

Levi was sprawled out on his bed at that moment, fresh from the shower and Ross was mouthing a tennis ball in his own bed next to Levi’s. Levi was letting his mind wander. He was horny and his mind was wandering to a certain lanky, brown-haired veterinarian with eyes the color of a tropical lagoon. He glanced over at Ross. He’d yet to get over his embarrassment of masturbating in front of the dog. Because of this, he spent a lot more time jerking off in the shower than he’d have liked. But the big dog had laid his head down and closed his eyes. Good, asleep. Levi fished in his boxers for his cock, giving a few leisurely preliminary pumps. He pictured Eren and his member immediately swelled. He imagined those turquoise eyes, their gaze on him, he pictured those pink lips on his, on his body, on his cock.

“Oh, god, yes,”

Levi shot a glance at Ross after his quiet vocalization. The fuzzy thing was snoring quietly.

Levi resumed, stroking slowly, swiping his palm over the head, teasing himself. “Oh, Eren …”

Biting his lip Levi upped his pace, squeezing tighter.

He imagined Eren sucking his cock, bobbing on the shaft, swirling his tongue around the head and his breathing grew ragged. After several moments Levi was covered in a fine sheen of sweat and his hand was almost a blur.

“Oh, god yes, Eren, just like that ...!”

Levi’s hand faltered and his hips stuttered, fucking urgently up into his fist as he came, spurts of white landing on his belly. He groaned in pleasure and relaxed back onto the bed grabbing the wet washcloth he’d set on the bedside table. As he cleaned himself up all he could think was: _ Levi, you've got it bad. _


	5. Floch

Floch transferred the toothpick he was chewing from one side of his mouth to the other and sighed. The boss had said to check every hospital, every clinic, even competent seamstresses to find out who had stitched Levi up. He was lying, Kenny had said, there’s no way Connie Springer had put in those neat stitches. Levi had to have had professional help and why was he hiding it? Kenny hated secrets. The problem was that Floch had been to every hospital and clinic in the whole west side with no results. He was parked in the Suburban right now and trying to figure out what to do. He hated to go back to the boss empty-handed. He’d strong-armed the staff and doctors at every emergency room, every walk-in clinic, every urgent care. What was left? Seamstresses? Really? Floch shifted his toothpick back to the other side and glared out the windshield. There was some shitty old lady and her shitty little dog walking down the sidewalk. Floch glared at them for a second then they turned into a building.

Wait. It wasn’t an apartment building it was a … veterinary clinic.

Hadn’t Levi gotten a dog? A  _ hurt _ dog?

Floch had a plan.

Several hours later a new customer came into the Yeager clinic.

“May I help you?” Sasha said brightly. The blond man had a small fuzzy dog tucked under his arm. The dog was not happy.

“Yes,” The blond man said brightly, “I have a friend who recommended a veterinarian but I can’t remember what his name was. Can you help me?”

“I’ll sure try,” Sasha said, “Dr. Yeager is an excellent vet. I wouldn’t be surprised if he was the one your friend recommended.”

“My friend brought his dog in recently. Grey and black? Fuzzy? No tail?”

Sasha frowned. “An Australian Shepherd? We do have a patient who is an Aussie …”

The small dog under Floch’s arm squirmed and whined and Floch gripped it tighter. The dog was stolen. Floch had lifted it over a fence earlier that day. This clinic was the fifth he’d visited.

“Runty guy? Black hair?”

Sasha narrowed her eyes. “Would you like to put your dog down on the floor? She seems distressed.”

“No, she’s fine. I didn’t bring a leash anyhow.”

“Well, I don’t recall any client here by that description. What’s his name?”

“This must be the place, though! That sounds like my friend’s dog. Thanks a bunch for your help! Come on girl, let's go home.”

The tiny dog whined and the man swept out the door.

Sasha Brouse tapped her finger on her lips. The dog that the man had been holding was a male. She went back into the back to tell Eren. 

They’d been found out.

Two blocks away Floch put the dog down loose on the sidewalk, kicked him away, and got into his SUV. He had good news for Kenny.

  
  


Levi and Ross were having a good day. They’d gone out together again (without an appearance of Kenny) and played with a tennis ball. Levi had to be careful because he quickly found out that Ross would not only overtire himself but strain his bad leg. Levi kept the playing to a minimum. They had come back, bathed (Levi took Ross into the shower with him to bathe him. The good-natured dog didn’t seem to mind and really seemed to enjoy being soaped up and rinsed under the spray.) Afterward, Levi had cleaned the bathroom and made lunch. After that, it was nap time. Levi stretched out on the sofa with Ross on his chest, belly, and hips (Ross hated the texture of the sofa cushions and would only sleep up there if he was on top of Levi.)

They snoozed for a couple of hours, then watched a movie on Disney+. About four o’clock the phone rang. Levi regarded it warily. He hoped it wasn’t fucking Kenny again. It rang again. He got up and looked at the caller id: ‘unknown number’. He contemplated not answering it then curiosity got the better of him.

“Hello?” A bright voice said.

Oh fuck. It was Eren.

Levi immediately straightened and ran his hand through his hair as if he was in front of the young man and not talking to him on the phone.

“Levi? This is Dr. Yeager … Eren.”

“Eren? What are you doing calling me? I mean, How are you doing?”

“I’m OK but Sasha and I thought we should call …”

“Ross is doing great, Doc. He’s getting around Ok and I’m even throwing the ball for him and--”

“I’m not calling about Ross, Levi.”

Levi went silent at the serious tone in Eren’s voice.

“No?”

“No. I’m worried about you.”

Levi’s face heated up despite himself.

“There was a guy here today. Shaggy blond hair, looking for a client with a blue merle Australian Shepherd. He described you. Levi, I’m really worried.”

Levi swallowed. Could be any of Kenny’s men but it sounded like Floch. What the fuck? What did Floch want with Levi? What would Kenny want with Levi that he couldn’t just ask for himself?

Abruptly he wondered if it wasn’t Floch but one of Zeke’s men. How had anyone traced him or Ross to Eren’s clinic? Why would they want to? The payment to the snitch was Kenny’s doing. Levi had just gotten roped into being there.

“Levi?”

“I’m here, kid. Just thinking.”

“Geez don’t call me ‘kid’! I’m a certified veterinarian!”

Levi laughed. “Sorry.”

He heard Eren chuckle in response then hesitate. “Who do you think that guy was, Levi? Are you in danger?”

_ Am I in danger?  _ Levi wondered.

“Nah, ki--- I mean Doc. It’s probably just a colleague of mine.”

“I don’t know Levi, he looked kind of shifty. If he was a colleague then wouldn’t he know an easier way to contact you?”

_ Shit! Pretty  _ and _ smart. _

“Don’t worry about it, Doc, I’m sure it’s OK.”

“You’re sure?”

“I’m not worried, Doc, I swear.”

The other end of the line fell into silence. Levi worried his lower lip. What should he say? Should he ask him how he was? Ask him about Sasha on Connie’s behalf? Ask about Sybil and Church, Roy’s fellow inmates? Fuck he was bad at this.

“Well …” Eren said, “If you’re sure … I guess I’ll get out of your hair.”

“Wait. No. Uh. I’m coming back to see you again!” Levi immediately facepalmed himself.

More silence. Levi began to wonder if he’d said the wrong thing. Was the kid not that interested in him or Ross? Ross …

“I’ll bring Ross in for a check-up.”

“Oh, that would be great!” The enthusiasm practically bubbled over the phone line. “I’d love to see Ross again … and you, of course.”

Levi pinked up at that and didn’t know what else to say. Was the handsome young man actually looking forward to seeing him again or was it just Ross. It was his job, after all, looking after animals, but maybe there was a little bit of eagerness to see Levi again?

“Oh … OK, Doc,” Levi said.

“OK, then, Bye.”

“Bye.”

After Eren hung up the phone he resisted the urge to wad up the bottom of his apron and scream into it like a teenaged girl into her pillow. Levi was coming back! He said so and he had kept his word so far! Eren tried to calm himself down before Sasha caught him but no luck. She came back from up front before he could regain his composure.

“Eren, there’s a lady here wh---”

Her brows knit. “What in the world is going on? What’s the matter? Does this have anything to do with you asking me for Levi’s number?”

Eren clutched at his apron convulsively, grinning like a fool, “He’s coming back!”

“Who? Levi? Is he bringing Connie?!”

“I assume so!”

“Oh my god, Oh my god!”

They both clutched each other like two middle schoolers for a second before they each calmed themselves down and returned to their jobs.

Before Eren left he took out the handkerchief and rubbed his thumb over the embroidered yellow flowers fondly. Levi was coming back!

Levi had to find out who that was who had visited Eren’s clinic. There was absolutely no way it was some innocuous friend. Levi didn’t have those. It was either Kenny’s man or Zeke’s man and Levi had to know. If it was Kenny’s man he had to go on the offensive, shielding himself and the doc from Kenny’s cupidity. If it was Zeke’s man then he needed to go on the defensive. There was no way he was letting either of these two men take advantage of or harm Eren.  _ His _ Eren.

Levi had to get back to work. Being around Kenny every day, much as he hated it, was the only way to watch and try to keep Kenny away from Eren. His days of sitting in his apartment relaxing with Ross were over.

Levi was pretty sad at this. He had enjoyed his time off, had enjoyed getting to know his new companion. 

Tuesday dawned bright and early and Levi had to resist the urge to throw his fucking alarm clock across the fucking room. God, he had gotten out of the groove of getting up early.

“I’ve become a wuss!” He told the equally bemused Ross. The dog had never heard the sound of the alarm clock. Levi stumped off to the shower while Ross lay on the mat in the bathroom chewing on one of his tennis balls.

Levi quickly dressed, locked Ross in his crate and told him goodbye. Time to get on with his day.

Connie picked him up at the door in a shiny new black Chevy Tahoe courtesy of Kenny and they pulled away from the curb, both silent.

After a while, the chatty Connie couldn’t help himself.

“Ready to get back to the grind, Boss?”

Levi grunted and looked out the window crossly. Connie subsided back into silence.

Kenny’s place was a nightclub and strip joint called The Royal Palace. Kenny had chosen the name to sound classy. This was Kenny’s primary source of income. Levi owned his own small nightclub and a small bar,  _ his _ source of income (he hadn’t been lying to Eren about his money being clean.) Kenny supplemented his own funds with several more strip clubs each of them fronts for prostitution and various other nefarious dealings that Levi refused to question. Just so long as it didn’t involve him, Levi didn’t care what Kenny did.

The club was closed this early in the morning and so was empty. Levi passed the guy at the front door and walked through the vast expanse of floor to Kenny’s lavish office in the back. True to his crime lord image he was counting money when Levi walked in. Levi threw himself down on one of the bright red vinyl chairs and waited. The whole place was done in chrome, red vinyl, and neon. It was excruciating. Levi had grown used to ignoring it.

As was usual Kenny didn’t greet him or even look up he just kept counting and Levi knew better than to interrupt him. He flung one leg over the arm of the uncomfortable chrome chair and bounced it in a bored fashion.

Outside Connie leaned against the bumper of the Tahoe and lazily watched the passing cars. After a few minutes, Floch appeared. Connie didn’t like Floch and sure as shit didn’t trust him but he had nothing against him per se so they had at least a conversational relationship.

Floch walked toward him with a cigarette in his mouth. He proffered the pack as he always did. Connie, who didn’t smoke and never had, shook his head. Floch settled against the Tahoe’s bumper as well.

“Nice day,” he said, blowing out a lungful of smoke.

Connie nodded.

“You and Levi are back?”

Connie cut his eyes at the blond man and nodded again.

“Really soon after being shot.”

Connie shrugged. For such a talkative guy he was close-lipped with Floch.

Floch stayed quiet for a bit, smoking and watching the traffic with Connie.

“I heard you stitched him up. Did a good job too.”

Connie side-eyed the man. How much did he know? Was he fishing for info?

He shrugged again, “It wasn’t a big deal.”

Floch hummed and for the next few minutes, they watched the cars in silence.

“Saw a cute girl here recently,” Floch said suddenly.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. Pretty brunette, body to die for, really sassy.”

An alarm bell went off in Connie’s brain, faintly, right at the back. He pushed it deeper into his subconscious.

“I like ‘em sassy,” Floch said, drawing his cigarette down to the filter. He lit another. “And all that glossy brown hair! Up in a cute little ponytail.”

Connie felt his guts grow cold.

“Yeah?” he croaked.

Floch looked at him with mock concern. “You OK, man?”

“Throat’s just dry, is all,” Connie insisted. He wondered if he could off Floch right here in front of the club. Quiet-like, with a knife to the throat and then dump his lifeless fucking body into the cargo compartment of the Tahoe. But what would he do about the blood? He could--

“Con? You with me here?” Floch was snapping his fingers in front of Connie’s face. The young man jumped.

“No problem, guy, geez!”

“Why don’t we go inside and get a beer?” Floch said.

“It’s like ten in the morning, dumbass,”

It was Floch’s turn to shrug. He grinned while taking another drag at his cigarette. “You just seem strung out.”

“I’m fine!” the younger man snapped, “Fuck it, go lean on your own car!”

Connie moved around to the passengers’ side fender and Floch threw up his hands and moved away. “Fine I’m goin’, I’m goin’”

Connie realized he was sweating.

  
  


Levi had let his head drop back onto the back of the chair and he was studying the recessed fluorescent lights in the ceiling when Kenny spoke. The sudden gravelly voice made Levi jump slightly.

“You’re back early.”

Levi struggled with the red vinyl to sit up straight. “I thought you’d be pleased,”

“What good are you to me all crippled up? You're still limping. You don’t exactly cut an intimidating figure draggin’ your leg like a gimp.”

Levi frowned, “I’m intimidating enough. 

Kenny snorted derisively and coughed. He tried to clear his phlegmy throat but it didn’t work. He started on a coughing jag.

“Jesus, Kenny, don’t die in front of me.”

Kenny gestured at Levi. “Gimme a handkerchief, at least!” Levi reluctantly did and Kenny hocked up a huge loogie into the thing.

Kenny inspected the mass of goo with some satisfaction and wadded the handkerchief up and offered it back.

“Keep it,” Levi said, struggling to keep from gagging. “Now tell me about this job. Why are you transporting a safe with the money inside? How did you even get a hold of the safe out of the Flamingo? The Flamingo was Zeke’s club.”

“That ain’t none of your business. Your business is to look intimidating--such as you can--and watch over things. Can you do that?”

“You know I can.”

“Then fine. Monday, 7 o’clock. Safe’s in a warehouse by the docks. Number eight.”

Levi absorbed all the info then cocked his head. “Wait. I know you’ve tried to crack this safe. If you can’t do it then why move it here?”

Kenny leaned back in his chair and tipped his hat back with one thumb. He picked up the cigarette smoldering in the ashtray and grinned. “I’m bringin’ in a guy who’s gonna open it.”

“You can’t be bringin’ a safe here to blow it. That means you got someone …” Levi’s eyes went wide.

“Who knows the combination,” Kenny finished, grinning wolfishly.

Kidnapping. Kenny had kidnapped someone from Zeke’s gang who knew the combo to the safe. Levi drew the line at kidnapping. “I’ll be there to do the job then I’m out, got it?”

Kenny’s smile widened if that was possible, “Got it, nephew.”

Levi stood, “See ya.”

Levi made it to the door, a mirrored affair that Levi particularly hated, a dozen hims reflected back in panes of glass, when Kenny spoke again.

“How’s the dog?”

Levi froze and he saw the color drain out of his face in the reflected dozen hims. “Dog?” he said dully.

“Yeah, that grey fuzzball you had or was that just for picking up dames? Y’know, they say that that’s a good way to pick up broads, dogs. Dames can’t resist dogs and babies. Harder to get a baby!” Kenny guffawed at his own wit and Levi’s stomach turned. He took a few deep breaths and turned the door handle, glaring at his dozen reflections.

“Dog’s fine. See you Monday.”

After Kenny was sure the younger man had left he opened his right hand to reveal the stained and wadded handkerchief with the three yellow flowers embroidered on it and grinned.

  
  


When Levi and Connie met at the car they both had almost identical misgivings to share: Kenny knowing about Eren’s clinic.

Driving away from Kenny’s tacky nightclub was the most cathartic thing Levi had done all day and the farther away they got the better he felt.

“What're we gonna do, Boss?” Connie asked watching Levi in the rearview mirror and chewing his lip.

“We’re gonna act Connie, that’s what we’re gonna do.”

“Act how, do what?”

Levi bowed his head and pinched the bridge of his nose between finger and thumb. “That’s the part I don’t know, Con.”

A few minutes later they were parked at Levi’s bar, After Dark. It wasn’t open yet either but would be soon. After Dark catered to the nearby college crowd and featured jukebox music, two enormous television screens, pool tables, darts, ping pong, and Foosball and of course the bar. The bar was long and ‘L’ shaped with the longer arm facing the noise and activity of the bar and the short arm extending into a quieter section of the bar for more intimate contact. This section had plump, dark brown colored chairs and sofas with low tables between them. The quieter students loved to come to this section with their dates or just to sit and chat with friends without a stray ping pong ball or the ungodly roar of a crowd watching a game / match / race on one of the televisions interrupting them.

Levi and Connie headed for the office which was behind the bar. The bar’s manager, Marco was there.

“Levi! So good to see you, Boss!” The pleasant young man said. “You need to see the receipts and count the cash first or look at the books?” Marco prided himself on being absolutely on the up and up and trustworthy and he was. Levi thanked his lucky stars every day that he had Marco. 

“Neither one today, Mar. Anything wild happen?”

“Nothing out of the way except a fight that caused a small loss of liquor”

“Yeah? What happened?”

“Guy threw another guy over the bar into the bottles.”

“Ouch! Both for my alcohol and that guy. Guy OK?”

“Yep and we’re pursuing payment for the liquor from the thrower. He comes from a rich, important family so I think they’ll pay up.”

“Good.”

“You sure you don’t wanna look at the books, Boss?”

“Marco, there’s two people in the world that I trust absolutely and the two of you are right here. Pour us all a beer.” 

Marco blushed under his freckles at the compliment, “It’s not even noon, Boss,” He pointed out. 

“Fuck it. I just had to talk with Kenny. I need some booze.”

Marco turned to get the glasses.

“What are we gonna do about Floch, Boss?” Connie asked, “You know he’s already told Kenny everything he found out.”

“Yeah, we gotta keep Eren and Sasha safe, somehow.”

“Eren and Sasha?” Marco said returning with three frosty brews.

“I’m swearin’ you to secrecy here, Mar,” Levi said seriously. Marco nodded solemnly.

“I got a dog,” Levi said and took a long gulp of his beer, “Ahhh!”

“That’s no secret, Boss,” Marco said mildly.

“True but his vet is.”

“How come?”

“Boss has a crush on him,” Connie snickered.

Marco smiled like the sun coming out from behind the clouds. “Truly boss?! It’s about time!”

If Levi could have kept the blush off of his face he would have but he couldn’t so he rounded on Connie. “You have a crush on his assistant!” he accused.

Connie, being Connie, had no qualms about that information being released. “Yeah, I do, Sasha’s cute as fuck and spunky!”

“Sasha?” Marco asked, “I know a Sasha. She’s in my yoga class.”

Only Marco would be taking yoga.

“Yeah?” Connie asked, “Feisty? Brown hair she keeps up in a ponytail?”

“That’s her! Oh, Connie, you couldn’t ask for anyone better she’s a great girl. Limber too.”

_ That _ made Connie blush.

“So what’s the problem?” Marco asked.

“Well, we met over my dog, Ross, literally. He was hurt when I found him and doc patched him up. But then I got shot and …”

“And this veterinarian stitched you up,” Marco finished. “I heard something about the precise stitching job from Jean. He said it couldn’t possibly be Connie’s work.”

“Hey! You tell that horsefaced bastard--”

Levi dragged the younger man back by the collar on his shirt.

“Siddown, Connie. Yeah, that was Eren.” Levi said. He sipped at his beer.

Marco settled onto the bar with his chin in both hands. “So you and this Eren hit it off?”

Levi pinked up again. “Shut up and get me some pretzels.”


	6. Connie

Eren and Sasha did their surgeries (not counting emergency surgeries of course) in the evenings after hours. There were no set days for surgeries; they just grouped them by necessity and workload. Surgery days were long and hard by definition. It was a Wednesday when they finished up their last surgery for the day; a dog spay, and Sasha was feeding and watering the dogs in the kennel and the cats in the cattery and Eren was scrubbing down the operating theatre. Sasha showed up just as Eren was finishing. She was unusually quiet.

“You OK, Sash?” Eren asked.

“Yeah, I’m fine, just a little down.”

“I’m sorry. Wanna go for a beer?”

“Nah, I’m dragging. It’s OK.”

“Well at least tell me what’s eating you,” Eren said his hand on her arm.

Sasha shrugged. “It’s nothin’ really, just … just here it is nine o’clock at night and who’s waiting at home for me? Nobody.”

Eren’s eyes shone with empathy. Nobody was waiting at home for him either.

“You know that most of our regulars think that you and I are an item?” Sasha asked forlornly.

Eren blushed. He hadn’t known. “I’m sorry, Sash,” he said again.

“It’s no big deal. It’s not like any likely guys have shown up as clients.” Sasha lapsed into silence at that and both of their minds turned to the same location; Levi and Connie.

Eren slung his arm around the shorter Sasha and hugged her awkwardly. “I miss them, too, Sash,“ he murmured.

As they moved toward the front door to lock up, Sasha couldn’t help but keep talking. 

“He was just so cute, Eren! And he was funny and kind and I just miss him! What if he was my soulmate and I’ll never see him again be-because he’s an underground crime lord?!” and the brown-haired girl began crying quietly there in the doorway of the vet clinic.

Eren locked the front door. “I don’t think either of them is a crime lord, Sash …”

“OK, gang member, whatever. Some thug, just a hoodlum.” Sasha began to cry harder. “Thing … thing is that Connie didn’t act like a hoodlum! Neither of them did. They could have pulled a gun on us but they didn't!”

That was true. When Eren had removed Levi’s coat he had found a gun--which he hadn’t touched--a dark, gleaming, heavy thing. If Levi and Connie were hoods then why hadn’t they threatened Eren and Sasha?

And would they ever see them again? Levi had said they would. Eren wondered.

  
  


Connie had acquired a bad habit. He had taken to cruising past the vet clinic during any off time he had from driving Levi. Levi knew absolutely nothing about this and would have had Connie’s head had he known. But the buzz cut young man was hopelessly besotted and couldn’t help but stalk his crush. So he cruised. He went by several times a day, the big black SUV blending in with the regular cars enough to not draw anyone’s notice. Each time he went by, he strained for a good look at Sasha. Sometimes she was sitting behind the counter or in the back and he didn’t see her at all but there was usually at least one glorious pass through where she was standing behind the counter or better yet in the lobby and he got to see her see all of her. He just about swooned behind the wheel. He had to talk to Boss about how they could see their crushes again. Hell, he was thinking of taking up yoga.

Connie was on his third pass through when he spotted another big black SUV, a Suburban, the chosen ride of Kenny and by extension his driver Floch. Connie wanted desperately to get close to the Suburban even trail it to see if it was them but he was smarter than that, more experienced than that and turned left at the light not even passing by the clinic. The Suburban went on through the light. Connie hightailed it back to Levi.

“Levi we gotta get back and see them. Just to make sure they’re OK!”

“Connie we can’t afford to.”

“Floch has been there to the clinic! I know! He described Sasha perfectly! What if he’s planning something? What if Kenny’s planning something?”

“Calm down. Lemme check with Marco, see if he’s heard anything.”

Marco Bodt had an interesting history with the gang. When Marco first joined, Levi crushed on him hard but the young man had fallen for a sandy-haired guy in Kenny’s gang called Jean Kirstein. Subsequently, there had been an uneasy truce at Levi’s club since Levi didn't trust Kenny but Marco was going with one of Kenny’s gang members. Fortunately, Levi trusted Marco with his life and the Romeo and Juliet relationship between Jean and Marco had never been a problem. 

One of the advantages of the arrangement, however, was the inside info Marco got from Jean. Marco had put down his foot about actually asking Jean for info but anything he just gleaned from conversation was fair game. Marco had no love for Kenny.

  
  


Checking with Marco had come up empty-handed. Marco hadn’t heard a single thing about Eren, Sasha, or the clinic from Jean. This meant that either both Levi’s and Connie’s fears were for nothing or that Floch, a master secret keeper, was holding his cards close to his vest and knew everything but wasn’t telling. This led Levi to wonder if Floch had told Kenny at all. Levi didn’t put it past Floch to keep things from Kenny in an attempt at gaining the upper hand. Floch was a devious bastard.

Levi contemplated just getting Floch alone somewhere remote and beating the ever-loving shit out of him and getting an answer himself. He didn't like to even think of Eren being in danger especially from such lowlives as Floch and Kenny. What pieces of shit.

Calling Levi’s gang a gang was actually a misnomer. Old habits just die hard. They never did anything even remotely gang-related any more. They hung out, drank, sometimes to excess, and ran Levi’s two legitimate businesses. Both businesses were close to the university and catered to the college-aged, young-adult crowd. He had the bar, After Dark, and a small club, The Neptune. Back in the day, they had both been seedy dives featuring strippers when they had been owned by Kenny but Levi had bought them both from his uncle and had gutted and renovated both. Kenny’s fondness for chrome and vinyl had to go. Levi renovated both the bar and the club, gave the strippers a handsome severance payment, and opened the two legitimate businesses that earned his steady money. 

All employees were former members of the part of Kenny’s gang that Levi had overseen (much to Kenny’s lasting irritation.) Not one member of Levi’s ‘gang’ had ever been asked--since they’d been with Levi--to do anything illegal. Kenny, of course, found the whole thing laughable and had been waiting for years for Levi’s businesses to fail or at least fail to support his nephew. He had so far been disappointed. Kenny, on the other hand, did nothing that was not illegal and if he needed a hand, called on Levi who was obligated by familial ties plus the fact that Kenny had taken him in and raised him and brought him up in his gang allowing him to make the money to buy his two legitimate businesses. Levi hated it but what could he do? He owed Kenny. He absolutely never took part in killing or drugs or guns. Those were his triumvirate of nopes. Even Kenny knew it and never asked his nephew. Not that Levi hadn’t been involved in the past but that was in the past. Now Levi’s main job was to be the muscle for any of Kenny’s operations that didn’t involve guns or drugs or killing.

Connie was sitting at the bar of Levi’s while the rampant revelry of college students on a Friday night went on around him. Marco who was one of the bartenders, as well as the manager of the bar, was serving him.

“You look down, Con.”

“I am. I can’t see my girl,”

Marco’s face fell and he looked around for the other bartender, Bertholdt, to make sure no one was listening.

“I’m sure she’s OK, Con”

“Yeah she’s ok but I can’t see her, cant talk to her, Marco. It’s torture.”

“Didn’t Levi say to just give it a few more weeks?”

“Yeah but that’s what he said a few weeks ago. I get that he’s trying to protect her and Eren but I’m dyin’ here Marco!” Connie let his head drop dramatically onto his forearms which rested on the bar. Berthold hurried over.

“You OK, Connie? Need a glass of water?”

“Nah,” Marco said, “He’s not sick, just got girl trouble.”

“Oh!” Bertholdt said and drifted off

Connie rolled his head around on his arms and groaned.

“Sasha, Sasha!”

“Who’s Sasha?” a voice said.

Both men jumped and looked around at the source of the oily voice; Floch.

“What are you doing in here, Floch? No crimes going on around here,” Connie hissed. 

“Right, Floch, we don’t want any trouble,” Marco said

Floch held up both hands palms out, “No trouble, here just here for a drink,”

“You live clear on the other side of town,” Marco said, his look just daring Floch to ask how he came by that information.

“I was just passing by,” the blond-haired man said smoothly. “Calm down.”

“Fuck you telling me to calm down!” Connie suddenly shouted. He sprang up from his barstool and faced a startled Floch. The bar’s bouncer, Reiner, started to move toward them.

“You stay away from my Sasha, Floch, you fuck!” Connie said, hands balled into fists at his side. 

“Connie!” Marco warned.

“And Eren! We deserve this! Don’t fuck it up!”

Reiner arrived. “That’s it, Floch. Time to go.”

Floch grinned and tapped the bar. “Yeah, yeah … I’m going.”

Reiner took his arm none too gently and turned him toward the door.

“Say hi to Sasha for me,” Floch said over his shoulder.

Only Marco’s death grip on Connie’s collar kept the smaller man from going after Kenny’s goon.

Connie was at it again. Daydreaming of happy scenarios and stalking his crush. It was late, maybe after 11, when Connie decided to cruise the Tahoe by the veterinary clinic. Levi, in the back, was looking over some order invoices and wasn’t paying attention. 

Connie knew for a fact that either Sasha or the Doc came by late to check on the animals and let all the dogs out one last time. He also knew that the two of them sometimes worked late into the night depending on the surgeries that they had. The chances of them being there this late were slim but the love-struck Connie couldn’t help himself.

Connie had just turned onto the street where Dr. Yeager’s practice was when he thought he saw something dark sail through the air toward the clinic. It was quickly followed by another object and the tinkle of glass. Connie slowed, staring into the darkness. A neighborhood dog barked.

For a moment there was nothing, just silence, and Connie, who had been about to ask Levi if he’d heard anything (and admit that he’d driven them out of the way so he could moon over Sasha Brouse,) saw two more objects, both on fire, hurtle toward the front of the clinic. As they got closer Connie realized that the first two objects must have been bricks to break the glass. The last two were Molotov cocktails. The two incendiaries flared up into big flames the instant they hit the floor of the tiny clinic’s waiting room.

_ “Boss!”  _ Connie yelled, startling Levi out of his contemplations.

A dark car sped away from the curb across from the clinic.

_ “What?! _ Why are we here in---?” Levi stared. It was Eren’s clinic and it was on fire.

“THE FUCK?! Pull over! pull over!”

Connie slid the Tahoe into a skid and up over the curb just beyond the clinic. He and Levi tumbled out.

The entire waiting room was in flames and Levi paused trying to decide what to do as Connie dialed 911. Suddenly, they both got the same idea at the same time and they both sprinted into the alley where the back door was, the door they’d broken into before.

Connie began picking the lock shakily.

“C’mon, Con, c’mon!” Levi hissed. The distant sounds of sirens could be heard. “You picked this lock in seconds before!” Levi said anxiously

“Something’s jamming it! I think Eren musta installed another lock after we broke in!”

Levi cursed fluently. “Look out.”

Connie scrambled off to the side and Levi kicked the door right at lock level. Once, twice, on the third kick it splintered and swung inward. The two men ran through.

There were no flames but plenty of smoke. It boiled slowly into the room, hugging the ceiling. Levi put one of his handkerchiefs over his mouth and nose and handed one to Connie. They went in, keeping as low as possible. 

“Eren! Sasha!” Levi called, “Connie get these cages open! We gotta get the animals out!”

“Eren! You in here?”

Levi stumbled into the recovery room and found Eren with two unconscious cats in his arms.

“Levi! Oh my god! Levi, help me!”

“Shit! Are they ok?!”

“They’re sedated. Post op.” Eren gasped. “Grab those cat carriers up there!”

Together they both found carry crates and got the two cats into them. When they stepped into the kennel, Connie had three very frightened and confused dogs on leads.

“Where’s Sasha?!” Connie shouted.

Eren coughed, “She’s at yoga!”

“Levi!” Eren yelled, “I have to go close the safe! It’s fireproof!”

“Fuck the money, doc---”

But Eren was gone back into the smoke and Levi was left with two unconscious cats in cat carriers. Connie was hesitating, too, and the dogs that he held were circling and whining in panic.

“Get all the animals outside!” Levi roared. “I’ll come back for that idiot!”

Eren dropped to a crouch once he got into the recovery room, then to a crawl in the operating theatre. The smoke was boiling in faster now, and closer to the floor, but the safe was right there. Eren crawled forward quickly and immediately put his hand on something hard. Whatever it was it turned underneath his palm and twisted his wrist causing him to fall onto his elbow.

Eren cursed and fished under himself for the object.

It was a brick.

Had that been the sound of breaking glass he’d heard? Had someone thrown bricks through his front window? What the hell? Strangely the brick’s surface was soft. Eren grabbed at it as he reached for the safe’s door.

With one hand he swung the safe door closed and spun the wheel and with the other, he grabbed the brick. He began crawling back the way he came, coughing.

In the recovery room, where the light was better and the smoke less dense, Eren paused and examined the brick. It was wrapped in something. Some cloth. Eren managed to pull it off. It was a handkerchief. White with three yellow flowers embroidered in the corner.

  
  
  
  


For Marco, it all happened so fast.

One minute the class was doing the Bow Pose and the next the room was seemingly flooded by big men in dark clothing with guns. Zeke’s men, Marco was sure. The whole room erupted into screams and Marco reacted immediately, darting to his bag by the wall.

Marco, like all of Levi’s gang, carried a gun. Living in Kenny’s neck of the woods was a sure-fire go-ahead to do so. You never knew what you’d come across. Right now Marco bided his time. He stealthily transferred his gun from his gym bag to the waistband at the back of his workout shorts and clung to the wall. Were they after  _ him _ ? It seemed likely. Then the gunmen began to search amongst the women in the class, blatantly ignoring all the blonds and questioning each brunette. _ They weren’t after him.  _ Marco frowned. Who were they after then? Marco’s gaze fell to Sasha Brouse and her deep ruddy brown hair.

_ Connie’s girl. Was Zeke after her?  _ He wouldn’t put it past Zeke to kidnap people to leverage their loved ones. Revenge for the snitch exchange gone wrong?

Marco desperately tried to make eye contact with Sasha.

She was clearly scared but not incapacitated. Her expression was one of wary anger, not terror. Finally, she looked Marco’s way and he motioned her over. She began to edge in his direction.

When one of the men got close, viciously grabbing a girl’s hair and canting her head back, Marco grabbed Sasha and backed the two of them into the hall leading to the back door. He didn’t dare make a break for it as the hall was long and featureless and he didn’t want either of them to be shot in the back, not to mention that the rest of Zeke’s gang was probably waiting at the back door.

Marco paused with his right shoulder against the wall and Sasha behind him, he braced the gun and aimed it down the hall toward the yoga room and waited. There were more frightened screams, a yell, and then a strange heavy thump. Someone was coming through the door. Marco steadied the gun.

Jean Kirstein burst through the doorway and Marco’s bullet ricocheted off the door jamb about an inch from Jean’s head where Marco had pulled the gun away at the last second.

“Jean! I almost shot you! What are you doing here?!” Marco said.

“I’m here to rescue your stupid freckled butt,” Jean said, “Let’s go, I have a car stashed round back. Oh hey. Didn’t see you there.”

“Sasha, Jean. Jean, Sasha. But why are you here? How did you get here?”

“Cracked Simmons over the head back there, come on!”

“No, I mean here now, with Zeke’s gang in here!” Marco wailed.

Jean took his boyfriend by both arms and looked into his eyes. “Marco, Zeke’s gang  _ isn’t here _ . It was _ Kenny _ who ordered us to get the girl!”


	7. Levi

Marco, Jean, Levi, Eren, Sasha, and Connie were all in a safehouse Levi kept for just such occasions. It was a nondescript apartment outside the edge of his and Kenny’s territory and was used specifically to hide gang members from rival gangs. It also  _ wasn’t  _ the first time it had been used by his own gang members to hide from Kenny.

“First of all are you OK? All of you?”

Marco nodded but clutched convulsively at Jean. Sasha was in a similar position sitting on a chair with Connie leaned in close and holding her hand. She nodded fiercely anyway.

Eren, on the other hand, was definitely not OK. He sat in a kitchen chair with his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands. Levi hovered over him not sure how he would react to being touched by anyone, much less  _ him _ right now. Eren shook his head without moving from his position of staring at the floor. “Gone,” he said in a trembling voice, “It’s all gone!” 

Levi crouched by the chair, resisting the urge to touch the man, comfort him, hug him even.

“It’ll be OK, Doc. The firemen said that the damage was all in the front and that the structure of the building hadn’t been damaged. You can rebuild.” Eren shook his head rapidly, “No …”

“Eren, listen,” Levi said, “all this is my fault, I'll help you rebuild the place.”

Eren’s head shot up, “NO!” he said, “I mean just … no. I don’t need your help.”

Sasha and Connie exchanged glances.

They; Connie, Eren, and Levi had spent the better part of the fire evacuating all of the dogs and cats from the building and the hours after the fire finding another vet who could take them all temporarily. Levi waving hundred dollar bills had helped considerably. It hadn’t made Eren happy though.

Levi subsided into silence. This whole turn of events made him sad but he couldn't blame Eren. At all.

Connie and Levi raided the safehouse’s closet and got bedding for the three beds and the couch. There was also a good quality cot that could sleep somebody. In the end, Marco and Jean shared the one double bed and Eren and Sasha took the two twin beds in the other room. Connie stayed on the couch to keep an eye on everyone and Levi went sadly home.

Ross was ecstatic to see him home and snorted at the smell of smoke all over Levi and his clothes. Levi took him out, fed him, and then stripped, tossing his clothes into the wash with a quart of vinegar and a cup of baking soda to kill the smoke smell. He then washed himself, rinsing his hair twice with white vinegar in between two washes. When he was finally convinced that he had gotten rid of the smokey smell he opened a bottle of wine and got into bed.

Ross seemed to sense that he was in a fragile mood and did what he almost never did; he crawled into bed with Levi. Levi didn’t fuss at him but held the big fuzzy dog.

“I think he hates me now, Ross,” Levi said, hugging him. “Eren I mean. I don’t think he can forgive me now. Not after what Kenny did. Oh, Ross.”

Ross wagged his tail stub and licked all over Levi’s face. Any other time Levi would have been grossed out but tonight he needed a little loving dog spit.

Levi was at the safehouse bright and early to check on everyone. Marco, Jean, and Connie were up and clean and dressed, Sasha was using the facilities to bathe and Eren was moping about the kitchen. Levi had brought a lavish fast food breakfast (He’d bought three of everything the place offered) and everyone dug in. Levi couldn’t help himself, he wandered into the kitchen.

“You want a breakfast croissant?” He asked.

Eren was drinking coffee and brooding at the small kitchen table. Finally, he nodded. Levi put a delectable smelling bacon, egg, and cheese croissant in front of him. Eren unwrapped it and picked off pieces, eating them.

“I think I may have found you a new place,” Levi began watching Eren to gauge his reaction. There was none.

Levi rushed on. “It used to be a butcher’s shop, so there’s a nice counter and then before that, it was a house, like back in the day, Victorian period or some shit, and so there’s plenty of rooms in back.”

Eren stared at the tabletop.

“There’s even a second floor that has been converted into an apartment. And a huge backyard with a shed …”

Eren finally looked up. “Levi, just stop.”

Levi chewed the inside of his cheek and stared at Eren.

Eren sighed. “Look, I know you’re trying to help, but the fact remains that everything I worked for is gone. I don’t want anything from you. Keep your blood money.” He got up and went to the sink, pouring himself another coffee.

“Blood money? I told you, Eren---”

“Yeah, yeah, that your money is clean. Then why did gangsters come after me and Sasha? Hn? Why did they  _ burn down my clinic?!” _ Abruptly the young vet was crying into both hands. Levi touched his elbow and Eren shook him off. “One of the bricks they threw through my window had one of your handkerchiefs wrapped around it! They knew you!” Eren said, wiping his eyes with one sleeve. “This is because of you!”

“Eren …”

“I don’t  _ care _ Levi!” Eren said, “I don’t care where your money comes from. It's dirty and  _ you’re _ dirty or you wouldn't associate with criminals!”

“It’s my uncle, Kenny, Eren. He’s the criminal and I gotta work with him … it’s … it’s complicated! I swear to you--”

“I don’t want to hear it!” and Eren slammed his coffee cup onto the counter splashing hot coffee everywhere. “I knew who you were! I should never have trusted you!” he screamed and left the room, crashing the swinging door back on its hinges.

It took several minutes for Levi to compose himself enough to leave the kitchen.

When he did leave he was in a dangerous mood.

“Connie, you fit to go?”

“Yes, Boss!”

“Marco?”

“Absolutely!”

“Jean you lay low here and keep an eye out. I guess you know that you are officially not in Kenny’s gang any more?”

“Yep,” Jean said,

“Well welcome to Squad Levi.” Levi stuck his hand out and the sandy-haired man shook it.

“Thank you, sir!”

Levi nodded and he, Connie, and Marco left.

  
  
  


Levi counted down the safe and checked over the books at the bar with only most of his brain. The other fraction was plotting, plotting how to get back at Kenny. No. Not how to get back at him but how to take him down for good.

Levi owed his uncle his life but had repaid the man over and over. Kenny had rescued him after his mother had died but to say that he had raised him was an overstatement. Levi had been raised by a few kind-hearted thugs and a bevy of prostitutes at Kenny’s club. Kenny had done next to nothing in his upbringing until he’s turned 16 and Kenny took him into the gang. And then it was fellow gangsters who had taught Levi all of the skills he needed to survive.

Now after years of struggling to learn the ins and outs of the business, he had bowed out. Had two legitimate businesses. Never killed or stole or dealt drugs. And yet he was still under Kenny’s wrinkled old thumb. But Kenny must think that he’s a threat or he wouldn’t have gone so far as to try to  _ kill _ the man that he was crushing on.

Suddenly Levi was furious.

Eren and Sasha could have  _ died _ . Their clinic--everything Eren had worked for--was gone. The animals could have died.

Levi was  _ livid _ . Kenny had to go down and he had to go down  _ hard _ .

  
  


Levi was pacing up and down his living room with Ross hot on his heels. The devoted dog never thought once about just sitting down and watching his master perform this restless maneuver. He followed him, right on his heels, back and forth. When Levi stopped, Ross stopped.

“I gotta figure out what to do, Ross, so Daddy’s gotta go down to the bar and talk with Uncle Connie and Uncle Marco.” Levi dropped his hand to love on Ross’s ears. “Just get in your crate for a little while. I’ll be back soon.” The dog went unhesitatingly into his roomy crate and flopped down on the dog pillow inside. Levi had just clicked the latch when the front door of his apartment slammed open so violently that it ricocheted off the wall, the knob leaving an ugly dent in the plaster.

Levi jumped and whirled around. It was only by the barest bit of luck that he had securely locked Ross’s crate. As it was the big furry dog launched himself at the bars of his cage, snarling at the figure in the doorway.

“Jesus fucking Christ, Kenny!” 

“Howdy nephew.”

“What the fuck are you doing here and why didn’t you just fucking knock?!”

Kenny thumbed his hat up. “Well, I came to check on ya.” He closed the door, almost gently.

“Check on me? I told you I’m fucking fine!”

“Are you? I thought you were. But I also thought you were gonna come to my little safe moving party, too.”

“I am, Kenny--”

“Yeah? Why don’t I believe that?”

Levi, whose heart had finally stopped hammering his chest, became wary.

“I dunno Kenny. Why?”

Kenny pursed his lips and frowned at Roy who was snarling in his crate. “Why doncha tell me about that tall, pretty guy at the vet’s office?” Kenny scratched his stubbly face, “The one who stitched you and your dog up.”

Levi’s heart seemed to stop in his chest and he felt suddenly cold. Cold like he was on the arctic ice in an Alistair MacLean novel. He couldn’t speak.

“You were always too good for this racket.” Kenny said sadly, dropping his long-fingered hand from his face, “Well, good guys are a liability.”

He pulled out a gun, then, a long, wicked-looking thing, and Levi suddenly realized that his life was seriously in danger. 

“That was what was wrong with Uri,” Kenny said, “You remember Uri? He was just too fuckin’  _ good _ .” He waved the gun absently then let it dangle at the end of his arm.

Levi swallowed but had no spit. His mouth was as dry as sand. Could the man who was his uncle, the man who had rescued him and ‘raised’ him actually kill him? Levi realized that he could and he would if he thought it benefitted him. And it did. Levi was more of a hindrance to Kenny than a help. True he worked as muscle and organizer for his gang but Levi was intrinsically good. This could only come back on Kenny. Kenny raised the gun--a colt revolver that was older than both men combined--and aimed it casually at Levi. Levi braced himself. He had thought sort of randomly about dying, more so when he was younger and a part of Kenny’s gang, doing not so legal things, but he hadn’t thought about it lately.

He was thinking hard about it now.

“You think you can cross me, boy?” Kenny asked, languidly flopping his wrist. The gun flopped with the movement and Levi flinched. The gun suddenly steadied. “I will kill you in a  _ heartbeat _ .”

Levi held his hands up, palms outward in a placating gesture but prepared himself to die.

“But …” Kenny said suddenly. Levi’s brows knit. “What can I do to hurt you more?”

Levi actually trembled. What the fuck was Kenny on about? What could he do to hurt Levi more than kil--.

Kenny pursed his lips and then grinned wickedly. The gun turned.

And pointed right at Ross.

  
  


“No! God! Kenny!” Levi gasped.

Kenny grinned impossibly wide. “‘No, Kenny,’ what?”

Levi did something he never thought he’d ever do in front of another human being. He fell to his knees.

“Please, Kenny! Please!”

“Please what, brat?”

Kenny hadn’t called him that in years and Levi closed his eyes and the memories flooded into his brain. Himself beside his mother’s dead body. Kenny taking him ‘home’ to the club. Him surrounded by prostitutes. Him learning to beat the piss out of anyone who messed with his foster mothers. Kenny bringing him into the gang. Him doing despicable things for the gang. The years of beatings from Kenny for messing up. Years that he suffered his wrath until he got to be strong enough to defy him.

And now he couldn’t. Now Kenny had something to use against him.

Ross _. Eren. _

The dog had not stopped growling and barking since Kenny had entered the apartment and the front of his crate was dripping with saliva where he had grasped the bars in his mouth in agitation at not getting to help his master. When Kenny lowered the gun, muzzle toward him, the dog unexpectedly quieted as if he sensed how dangerous the big chunk of silver metal was.

Levi was desperate. He walked forward on his knees. 

“Kenny, Kenny, please. Please don’t”

Kenny chortled, “Don’t what, Kid?” He sighted down the barrel of the gun. “Tell me.”

“Please don’t shoot my dog, Kenny”

Levi felt wretchedly pulled back in time to a day when he’d brought home a stray puppy he’d found. It was a memory that he didn't even realize he had until that moment.

It was a skinny, runty, hound cross with patchy fur and Levi had fallen in love at once. He’d always wanted a dog, begged Kenny for a dog and then he’d found this one.

Kenny had unceremoniously told one of his goons to drown the puppy in the river.

Only Uri Reiss, the only bit of goodness Kenny had in his life had intervened. He convinced the goon to take the puppy to the local animal shelter in the vain hopes that it would be adopted by someone.

To this day Levi had no idea if the pup had made it to the shelter or had ended up in the river. Uri had tried to soothe him and reassure him that someone would adopt the dog, give it a good home, but Levi never knew.

But he knew about Ross. Ross had been abandoned and abused and hurt and Levi had found him, saved him. And now Kenny was threatening to take him away.

Without another coherent thought, Levi lunged. He’d shuffled forward on his knees till he was quite close to Kenny and despite the wound in his thigh, he made this desperate play.

Levi tackled the tall man as best he could, wrapping both arms around his legs to try to bring him down. Kenny made a startled sound and tried to keep his balance, pushing at Levi’s grasping hands with both of his. 

Levi did the only other thing he could think of, he bit Kenny on the leg.

“ _ Ow _ , Goddamn you, you little savage!”

Blows from the butt of the gun rained down on Levi’s head and shoulders and one struck his forehead, making his head spin. He gripped his uncle harder.

The lanky man danced around trying to push or pull Levi off of him and keep his balance at the same time and he failed miserably. Levi bit down as hard as he could and Kenny howled and teetered and fell.

The gun went off with a muffled pop.


	8. Eren

Levi was groggy.

His vision was blurred and his head hurt like a son of a bitch. He shook it carefully to try to clear it. Bad mistake.

He had something gummy in his eyes and he swiped haphazardly at his face and inspected his fingers owlishly. Blood. His eyes were full of blood.

His head was full of a hammering sound.

“Just stop,” he mumbled.

The sound didn’t stop. He rolled over. Levi wondered idly if he was going to die. He let his mind wander, wander anywhere but where the pain was. He thought of his mother. The curtain-like sweep of black hair, her deep-set grey eyes that had so resembled his. He remembered her walking through the field out behind their house, her dress sweeping over the plants and stirring up pollen and insects. She’d be looking for her favorite flower, evening primroses, which she would put in a plain jelly jar of water in the center of the table. Levi couldn’t remember ever eating a meal without them there when they were in season. Until she got sick, that was.

“Boss?!”

It was muffled and distant but he was sure he heard it. Was he hallucinating? Ross was making a terrible sound. What the hell?

_ “Boss?!” _

Levi moaned. Either he was hallucinating or that sounded like Connie. What was Connie doing here?

Levi was crawling. Crawling and trying to get to Ross’s crate. Why was Ross keening like that?

“Ross?” Levi said. His hand touched something soft.

Fur? Hair of some sort. It was sticky with blood. Levi recoiled. Ross barked.

Suddenly there were hurried footsteps and excited talking and Levi lost track of what all. His head throbbed.

“Levi! Oh, Levi!”

And Eren was there, his big soft hands on Levi’s, his lips on Levi’s face. It was Eren.

Levi grabbed at him and warm arms went around him.

“Ross,” Levi sobbed.

“Ross is fine,” Eren said breathlessly, “he’s safe in his crate, just upset.”

“I touched hair …”

“That was the tall, skinny guy.”

“Kenny. Is he …?”

“No. The bullet parted his hair and a bit of his scalp but he’s fine, I think, just out. That’s Kenny Ackerman? I expected someone more impressive.” Eren was chattering, obviously nervous.

Levi managed a smirk, “I’m the impressive one. Why am I covered in blood?” 

“You have quite a wound on your head and scalp wounds bleed like crazy.” Eren twisted his fingers and smiled shyly. “And you  _ are _ impressive.”

“Aw, shucks, doc.”

Eren went pink and inspected his fingers, “Don’t make fun of me.”

Levi reached for his hand, “Sorry, I’m not, I’m … I’m just kinda …”

Eren suddenly leaned in and kissed him.

Levi could have sworn he saw stars. Eren’s lips were warm and soft and eager and he couldn’t believe they were against his. He tried his best to return the kiss but his head throbbed like a beating drum. Was it the injury from the butt of Kenny’s gun or was it just his wildly beating heart?

They separated and then looked anywhere else but at each other.

Eren had a tiny frown marring his beautiful face.

“I’m sorry,” Levi said, “my head …”

“No, it’s alright.” Eren caressed Levi’s face. “I understand.”

“You’re not mad anymore?”

Eren shook his head. “Marco and Connie sat me down. They explained some things.”

Levi nodded and stroked Eren’s hand.

Connie got back from his inspection of the apartment just as the police arrived. Levi and Eren guiltily unclasped their hands.

They had plenty of time to hold hands later. Levi’s stay in the hospital was only five days. Connie stayed in Levi’s apartment and took care of Ross and Eren visited Levi every day. They held hands and kissed shyly and talked about nothing.

The day Levi was to come home from the hospital he was sitting in a wheelchair out in front of the building, a stoic nurse behind him. The weak winter sun shone feebly through the leafless trees. Frost water dripped off of the branches.

“I don’t know why I have to sit in this thing,” Levi said grumpily. “I’m fine.”

“Hospital rules, Mr. Ackerman.”

“Tch.”

A pick-up truck came into view and pulled up by the curb. It was an older model and belonged to Levi. Instead of the expected Connie, Eren got out, grinning.

“Why are you here?” Levi asked, unabashedly pleased.

“Connie let me take the truck! He said you’d rather look at my face than his. Oh and Sasha is over at your apartment with him.” Eren’s grin turned devilish.

Levi stood up out of the wheelchair and Eren grabbed his stuff.

“God,” Levi said, “I hope they don’t fuck in my bed. Those sheets are clean.” The nurse behind him made a huffing noise of disapproval.

Eren laughed brightly. “Wanna drive?”

Levi snatched the keys, “Hell, yeah!”

As soon as they got out on the road, Eren unbuckled his seat belt and slid slowly but purposefully left until his thigh rested against Levi’s. He rebuckled himself into the center seatbelt. Their arms bumped together companionably.

Levi looked sidelong at him, blushing. “If I were still driving one of Kenny’s new cars this wouldn’t be possible.”

“I know,” Eren said, grinning. “I noticed the front bench seat immediately.”

“And your mind wandered?”

“And my hand,” Eren said sweetly and placed one big warm hand on Levi’s thigh.

Levi jumped and went red as a tomato. “Eren … I’m trying to drive …”

The hand moved north until it brushed the fabric of the crotch of Levi’s jeans. “Then pull over.”

Levi’s back went ramrod straight and his cock swelled with interest.

“Eren …” he said helplessly.

“Levi …” Eren replied and tugged down his zip.

The truck jogged to the right. “Fuck! I gotta find a place to park!”

“Uh-huh,” said Eren and popped his jeans button.

“Fuckfuckfuck.”

Levi drove even faster searching for a place to pull over--any place. He couldn’t just pull into a parking place on the side of the road. He searched desperately for a quiet alleyway.

In the meantime, Eren fished in Levi’s trousers for his cock. It unfurled eagerly towards Eren’s hand and Levi’s hips bucked up as Eren’s fingers touched him, pressing the plump organ into his hand. Finally, Eren had it in his grasp and pulled it out into the open air. Levi hissed in pleasure as Eren spat in his hand and started up a lazy stroke.

“Fuck, Eren!”

Levi drove, more or less straight, and at more or less a constant speed while Eren enthusiastically fisted his dick.

“Er-Eren … I’m gonna cum and ... wreck this truck … Eren?”

The slick, wet, filthy sound of Eren’s hand on Levi’s cock sounded deliciously loud as Levi finally spotted a likely alleyway and haphazardly pointed the truck toward it. They bumped over rough pavement at the mouth of the alley and jerked to a halt. Levi stripped off his seatbelt and turned toward Eren, wrapping his arms around him, pulling him close. They kissed almost frantically, nipping at lips, and licking deeply into each other’s mouths. For a second Eren stopped his ministrations to Levi’s dick and Levi let his fingers brush the front of Eren’s khakis. Eren’s hips jolted up at the contact and he gasped.

“Are you s-sure? You don’t have to …”

“Fuck,” Levi said matter-of-factly. “I  _ want  _ to. I want to strip you naked and kiss over every part of your body! But I fucking can’t because we’re parked in a truck in some random alley!” Levi resumed kissing him and stroked the bulge in the front of Eren’s trousers firmly. “Let’s just wing it, OK?”

Eren tilted his head back to allow Levi access to his neck and hummed in agreement. Levi slowly undid Eren’s fly.

It didn’t take many moments before they were leaned in close, so close that they seemed to be sharing the same air, and stroking each other slowly. Every few seconds they’d kiss slowly and indulgently.

Levi wrested himself away from Eren’s lips with difficulty. “Wish I had some fucking lube.”

Eren laughed, low, and nibbled at the sensitive skin under Levi’s ear. “If we were at the clinic I’d have some petroleum jelly.”

Levi snorted. “Nah, I’ll be fine. I’ve jacked off with just spit about a million times in my youth.”

Eren giggled. “Me too!”

“Like this?” Levi asked, gripping Eren tighter and putting a bit of a twist in his upstroke.

“Oh, god, Levi … yes …”

For a while, the only sounds were the grunts of pleasure and the slidey, liquidy  _ schlick _ of two cocks being jerked in unison, smoother and faster as pre-cum added lubrication. The windows on the truck began to fog up.

“Fuck … I’m not gonna last,” Levi breathed.

“I thought … I thought it was us youngsters who had no staying power … old man,” Eren replied.

“Who you callin’ old man, you whippersnapper?” Levi tightened his grip and ratcheted up his speed.

“Levi …” Eren’s head lolled back onto the back of the truck seat.

“That’s it, babe. Cum for Levi,” Levi purred.

“Fuck, Levi! Fuck!” Eren went rigid.

“Wait for me, brat … I’m close … fuck! I’m super close …”

Eren couldn’t wait. His hips lost their rhythm, stuttering up out of time. “Le--vi … I’m cumming!” and Eren came generously all over Levi’s hand, Levi following him a few seconds after.

They both leaned their foreheads together and just panted. Eventually, Levi was prompted by disgust to draw back and dig out a handkerchief to wipe his hand off. Eren, meantime, went very still.

“Uh, Levi?”

“Hmm?”

Eren tugged at his sleeve. When he looked up Eren was staring fixedly out of the windscreen. Levi turned that way and jumped. There was a small, wizened, Asian lady glaring at them over the hood of the truck, her rubbish in hand.

For several seconds the two men and the woman locked gazes with each other in tableau. Then Eren gave her a small embarrassed grin and a slight wave. The woman snorted in disgust and slammed her trash into the nearest bin. Levi started the truck and jerked it into reverse. He quickly backed out of the alleyway while Eren giggled helplessly.

Levi drove in silence for a few minutes, then grumbled, “I can’t believe that I got caught jerking my boyfriend off in a parked car!”

Eren studied his hands, blushing pink. “Is that what I am? Your boyfriend?”

Levi got very serious. Eren looked a bit apprehensive.

“Eren?” Levi asked.

“Yes?” Eren chewed his lower lip nervously.

“Can I date you?”

“Wh … what?”

“I’d like to date you if you’d let me. I know we’re from different worlds bu--”

Eren abruptly punched Levi in the arm. “You dickhead!”

“Ow! You almost made me wreck! Again! Is that a no?”

Eren grabbed Levi in a crushing hug. “Of course you can date me!” He punched him again, lightly. “You scared me you asshole!”

Levi laughed and pulled him in one-handed for another hug.

A slow few days passed. Levi and Eren went out almost tentatively as neither one of them had actually dated anyone before. They were on the chilly canalside now, the breeze brisk off of the water and Ross eagerly and hopefully begging for one of the roast chestnuts they were eating.

“Can I give him one, Doc?”

“Should be OK. Just one though.”

Levi bent to the eagerly wagging dog who managed nonetheless to sit relatively obediently as Levi shelled the nut. Ross almost literally inhaled the thing then searched the ground for any stray crumbs. Eren laughed at him.

Levi paused to lean on the railing on the bridge. “They sentenced Kenny today.”

Eren waited quietly.

“He sent me a letter asking me to take over his gang while he was in prison.” Levi turned around, his back to the water and rested his elbows on the railing behind him. “Can you imagine? After he almost killed me and Ross? And they broke up the prostitution. All his clubs are for shit.”

“Crazy,” Eren murmured. He studied his hands. “What did you tell him?”

Levi stared at him. “I didn’t tell him anything. Fuck, Eren. He almost killed me. He almost killed  _ you _ . He can kiss my ass!”

Eren brightened considerably and leaned forward to hug Levi, “Good!” he said then patted Levi’s behind. “And it’s a nice ass …”

They kissed, just a peck at first but then it deepened.

“Stay the night, tonight?” Levi asked, low. “We can celebrate.”

Eren nodded eagerly.

  
  


On the way home Ross got into something that made him sneeze and so the walk back to Levi’s flat was punctuated with the occasional high-pitched dog sneeze which made Eren giggle.

“Put him in his crate would you, Doc? I gotta get him a treat.”

“He’s gonna get fat.”

“He has too much energy to get fat.” Levi passed Ross his goodie through the bars then stood and kissed Eren. “Kinda like you.”

Eren’s beautiful turquoise eyes fluttered shut at the kiss. “I wanna see your bedroom.”

“Let’s go. It’s even more impressive with me in it.”

“You stud,” Eren laughed.

“Dickhead.”

Eren laughed some more and laced their fingers together. “Lead the way.”

In the bedroom Eren snuggled mostly naked under the sheets as Levi grabbed the lube and an ambitious amount of condoms. He sat on the edge of the bed with a blush.

“Is it stupid that I’m nervous?”

Eren sat up and shrugged. “If it is then I’m stupid, too.”

“I just don’t wanna mess this up, Eren.”

Eren stroked his face gently. “You couldn’t possibly.”

The kiss was sudden and fierce and Levi pressed Eren back down onto the bed under it. As soon as the younger man was thoroughly kissed Levi let his mouth wander; down Erewn’s tan neck, along round collarbones, across his pecs until he encountered a nipple. Eren’s back arched off of the bed when Levi’s lips and teeth latched onto a brown nub and nibbled.

Ross, unused to being in his crate when Levi was home (and who suspected that his two Daddies  _ had  _ to be in the bedroom together eating something delicious without him,) let out a soft whine punctuated by a sneeze.

“Damnnit,” Levi said and got up to gently shut the bedroom door. When he turned back around Eren was stretched out on top of the covers buck-ass naked. 

Levi practically drooled. He clambered back onto the bed and crawled over Eren, taking several long, slow moments to just admire the man. Eren squirmed under the scrutiny and Levi couldn’t help himself; his hands and mouth went back to work. Downward he trailed, kissing, licking, and biting gently.

Eren’s cock, nestled in dark brown curls, had swelled to perfection and flopped heavily onto his belly. Levi reached it quickly, sucking the head into his mouth and making Eren gasp.

“Levi! Go slow …”

Levi smirked around his mouthful and sucked eagerly.

“Levi! You always want to make me cum too soon!”

Levi added his hand to the base of Eren’s cock and slurped at the head.

“Levi!”

Levi came off of Eren’s erection with a pop and smiled a small smile at him. “I like to see you cum.”

Eren reached for him, “Well, then, come up here and make me cum for real.”

Levi didn't hesitate.

In moments Levi’s lube-slicked fingers were working on Eren’s tight hole. Eren moaned and writhed as Levi slowly fingered him.

“Levi, please …”

“So eager.”

“It feels so good.”

“You feel so good, so tight and hot.” Levi lapped at the crease where Eren’s long leg met his torso.

“Please … I want you in me.”

“Whatever you say, Doc,” Levi murmured, sucking up a mark on Eren’s smooth flesh before he straightened.

Levi rolled on a condom and slicked it up with lube.

“You ready to be violated by a dangerous criminal?” he asked with a small crooked smile.

Eren grinned dreamily. “Always.”

For a moment Levi just hung over the younger man, the tip of his cock just catching at his entrance, then he pressed in smoothly.

Eren gasped.

“You OK?”

“B-big!”

“Does it hurt?”

“No, just stretches a bit. Gimme a second.”

Levi panted shallowly, trying not to move.

“Go slow.”

Levi eased himself in, almost insane at the heat and tightness but careful not to hurt Eren. Soon he was fully seated, balls deep in the other man.

“Ah, god, that feels so good,” Eren sighed, “Move, please, now”

“Yes, sir,” Levi said and began a slow, even, shallow stroke.

“Mmmh! Ah! Levi!”

“Slower?”

“No! Fuck! Faster!”

Levi grinned and upped his speed.

“Ah! Ahh! Levi … yes! Fuck me!”

That was all the permission Levi needed. He hooked both arms under Eren’s long legs and basically folded the younger man in half, pistoning into his pliant body.

“Levi! Levi! Hnng, yes …”

Levi gasped, barely able to speak. “Fuck you’re gonna make me cum! Shit!”

“Cum inside of me.”

“Yes … ah, god … sir.”

And then Levi was half thrusting, pulsating inside Eren’s tight ass and Eren was cumming, too.

They did it again, once more before Levi called for a break.

“I’m not fucked-out but, by god, let me rest a bit, you animal.”

Eren grinned sweetly.

Eren had gotten up for a drink of water at some point and had let Ross free. The dog had immediately run to the bedroom and sniffed around suspiciously for food. Finding none, he wagged around the bed where Levi still lay, recuperating. Levi loved on the big dog idly, one hand trailing off the bed and into his fur. Abruptly Ross sneezed … right onto Levi’s arm.

“Oh, fucking yuck!”

Eren laughed and scrambled off the bed. He began searching through his trousers. 

“Eww, don’t lick it off!” Levi protested, trying to push the enthusiastic dog away. “Eren, help me!”

When Levi raised his gaze, Eren was holding out a handkerchief to him. It was his, he could tell by the evening primroses embroidered in the corner.

“You kept it.”

“I kept it.”

“I suppose dog snot isn’t the worst thing that’s been on it.”

Eren snuggled back into the bed as Levi carefully wiped himself off and folded the cloth.

“So tell me about the yellow flowers,” Eren said, laying his head on Levi’s shoulder and tracing the embroidery with one finger.

“Oh. Well, they’re a type of wildflower called evening primrose. They were my mother’s favorite …”

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, here we are at the end. I hope you enjoyed it! I want to thank every one of my readers, everyone who left kudos, and especially all my wonderful commenters. You guys please the muse and make me want to write! <3  
> Everyone take care in this difficult time of Covid-19. Stay safe, please!


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